Haruhi's Bitter Days
by mcangel1976
Summary: Based on the episode Hunny's Three Bitter Days. What if Haruhi and Mori were actually together when she witnessed the girl confess her love to Mori. It might make for an awkward sitations and jealous feelings. Now they have to deal with jealousy, a cavity, the other hosts and some how make it to the other side. **Goes beyond episode and delves into the relationship.
1. Just the Beginning

**Disclaimer... I do not own OHSHC or its characters. I do love them though.**

**A/N: I was watching Honey's Three Bitter Days again and wondered what if Haruhi was actually with Mori as she watched the girl confess her love to him. It might make for awkward and jealous feelings. So that is what this story came from. I hope you enjoy. **

Chapter 1 – Just the Beginning

This was not a good week in school. First Hunny got a cavity and is going through sugar withdrawl and now to top everything off Haruhi just witnessed a girl hitting on her boyfriend. Granted none of the student population knew that she and Mori were dating, but that didn't mean that she wanted to see girls throwing themselves at him. Yet she was powerless to turn away from the scene as it played out in front of her.

Haruhi looked on as the girl spilled her feelings for Mori to him in one of the external hallways of Ouran. She loved him and wanted him to return her love, but he stayed silent. She asked if there was someone else and again Mori stayed silent. Haruhi wanted to run up to them and interrupt the little interlude and say, "Yes there is someone else and it is me!" She stayed hidden and silent though. She watched until the girl turned and fled from Mori with tears in her eyes.

Haruhi wasn't sure where this bout of jealousy came from. She knew that she had nothing to be jealous of. She had never really felt jealously before and she didn't like feeling it now. She knew she could trust Mori, but that didn't mean she could trust the girl. She was already trying to steal away her boyfriend.

The opposite side of the coin had Haruhi guilty for feeling any sort of jealousy. The hosts had girls fawning over them all of the time and this was nothing new. It wasn't as if the hosts returned the feelings or were even remotely interested in the girls at the school. The girl was hurting and cried as she left Mori standing there. The whole situation was awkward. She knew that the girl was a third year, so she didn't have a lot of contact with her, but her boyfriend did and she knew that he was probably feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation even if he didn't outwardly show it.

Mori was a sensitive person. He hated to hurt people, but he also could not tell someone she had a chance when there was a zero chance of him feeling anything for her. He had a girlfriend that he loved very much and that was who was important in his life. As he stood there and listened to the girl spill her guts, he couldn't answer her questions. How did he say that he was involved with one Haruhi Fujioka, fellow host and first year? He couldn't. No one knew that they were dating except for his cousin (and let's face it Kyoya might suspect or know because he knows everything that happens) and the student body thought Haruhi was a boy. No, he could not tell her that the person he felt so strongly about and loved was a little slip of a girl, Haruhi.

The situation that Mori found himself in at the moment was not the kind he ever wanted to be in. He felt bad for not saying anything and keeping silent. He felt horrible that she ran away crying because he could not return her feelings. This had not been the first declaration of love he had received. Being in the host club, one tended to get those on a daily basis, but this one was one of the more serious ones and he felt like he truly hurt someone's feelings. He felt like an appalling person right now.

Mori quickly turned around because he felt someone watching him after the girl ran off, but when he looked behind him, the walkways were empty. It was odd, he knew someone was watching him, and he probably would have started looking, but the clock tower alerted him to the time and he needed to hurry to the host club. He shrugged off the feeling and started walking towards music room three.

It just wasn't his week. His cousin had a cavity and he was blaming himself for it. Maybe if he had paid closer attention to Hunny, this would not have happened. He was the one that was supposed to make sure he was taken care of and no harm came to him, and now he had a cavity. Hunny was hurting and he had to lay down the law with his best friend. He had to lie to said cousin about how Usa-Chan got drenched in tea and actually wanted to kill the ones that caused it because they were harassing his girlfriend. No one should hang all over her except him. He then had to deal with Hunny while Usa-Chan was taken to the cleaners. Hunny hated not having access to his bunny. He had to cancel his date with Haruhi in order to take Hunny to the dentist and deal with him afterwards. Haruhi said she understood, but he hated to cancel on his girlfriend. Now he was feeling bad because a girl confessed her love for him. He was ready for it all to be over.

Haruhi pressed herself up against the pillar. She had to get her feelings under control before she saw Mori in the club room. It would not do for her to barge in and be upset with him when it wasn't his fault. He was a host, a gentleman, and a popular guy at school between hanging around Hunny, being the kendo team captain, and a member of the host club. She couldn't even blame the girl. Mori was a catch and very easy to fall for. Haruhi knew that first hand.

The female host took in several deep breaths. She kept telling herself to breathe in and out. She had to calm herself down and get rid of the jealousy that she was feeling. It would work, it had to work. When she was finally calm enough, she walked towards the club room. She didn't even care if she was late or if Kyoya was going to add to her debt. It would have been worse to enter the room with her frenzied emotions than it would have been to wait it out.

As she entered the club room, she walked in on an emotional bomb that had apparently gone off. Tamaki was yelling for his precious daughter and wanted to know what the twins had done to her. He was instructing Kyoya to send out the troops to find her. The twins swore that they didn't know where Haruhi was and started to tease their king making matters worse. She looked down at her watch, she was thirty minutes late, but she had another fifteen minutes before the club would officially open. Yah, this was not her week.

The door banged shut behind Haruhi and immediately six pairs of eyes turned towards her and she gulped. Kyoya told her that her debt was increasing while the twins and Tamaki stampeded her. She braced herself for impact and was immediately seized by Tamaki's arms and squeezed until she couldn't breathe. The twins tried to pull her out of Tamaki's embrace and finally got him to let go when they accused him of sexual harassment again. Their king was yelling and having a hissy fit. The twins were egging him on, and Haruhi decided to make her escape and head towards the kitchen to prepare tea and coffee for club activities. At least she didn't have to worry about preparing the cakes.

One day, it had only been one day and already everyone was a bit on edge because they could not have sweets. Well, everyone but Kyoya, he was the happiest anyone had ever seen him. No one had ever seen Hunny go without sweets and this was new territory for everyone. Haruhi and Mori were both feeling bad for the short man and knew that he was hurting. The rest of the club just tried to watch themselves around the senior. Haruhi walked around placing tea and coffee at each station and wondering when Hunny would break. She admired Mori for making sure that sweets were not anywhere around his cousin, but she also knew that it was very hard for him to play the bad guy. She and the twins had already been witnesses to Mori confiscating Hunny's stash of candy and knew that it was just going to get harsher and harder for the pair of them before it got better.

Hunny hated not having his sweets. He had to come up with a plan to get his cake and sugar back. He didn't care that he had a cavity, he needed his stuff back. He wondered who he could convince to give him what he wanted. This needed a level of cunning and sneakiness. He knew he could do it and he would win the battle.


	2. A Plan of Action

**A/N: Thank you to crazywrit765 and AnimeApprentice for the reviews. I really appreciate them. Thank you also to all of the readers and people that have favored/set up an alert for the story. You are awesome. Here is the next chapter. If you have time, please review and tell me what you think.**

Chapter 2 – A Plan of Action

Hunny did not like the fact that not only did his cousin take away his cakes, but he confiscated his candy also. He didn't think it was fair! He was on his second day without his sweets and although he lost the battle the first day, he believed he would ultimately win the war. He just had to play the game right.

Haruhi was sitting on a chair next to Mori and was watching Hunny walking around the club room and acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. She knew it was all an act, everyone did. He was plotting something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She looked to the tall man sitting next to her and watched him read his book. She had not had a chance to talk to him about that other girl yet because as soon as she walked in she started to prepare for hosting and she knew she couldn't ask him in front of all of the others.

The female host looked at the time and realized she needed to go get more tea and coffee for her next round of customers. She walked into the kitchen lost to her own thoughts once again as she gathered the items needed and as pushed the cart out of the kitchen; Kyoya was reminding everyone that no one was to give Hunny-senpai any snacks. He emphasized that the order came from Mori-senpai and not him. Haruhi rolled her eyes and went to her normal seating area where her customers were already waiting on her. "Hello ladies, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she said as she plastered on her natural host smile and took a seat. She served her customers as they started to talk, and today the subject of conversation was Hunny-senpai.

"Haruhi-kun, how is Hunny-senpai doing? I know it must be so difficult for him. We wish we could do something to make him feel better," one of the ladies said and the others joined her in voicing their agreement.

"He is fine ladies. It is only a cavity and once the dentist says he can have sweets again, I am sure he will be back to his normal self," Haruhi said. _"They almost act like he has a terminal disease. It is only a stupid cavity,"_ Haruhi thought to herself.

"Oh that is good. We hope that the ban is lifted soon for his sake. He just looks so sad," the same customer replied. It appeared that she had been selected as the spokesperson for the Hunny topic.

"Don't worry about him, he is strong and it is only a few days. It probably is good for him to take a small break from all of the sweets anyway," Haruhi answered.

"And the way Mori checked his teeth and then took care of him it was so MOE!" her guest was getting louder and louder. Next all of the girls that were around her were screaming MOE.

Haruhi groaned inwardly, _"I will never understand these girls. This is not moe!"_ She wasn't quite sure how the girls felt so strongly about moe and how it applied in this situation. Mori was just taking care of his cousin and someone he always looks after. He is a nice guy and she didn't expect anything less from him. "Mori-senpai always takes care of Hunny-senpai, so helping him yesterday when he found the cavity business as usual," Haruhi said trying to get control of the situation.

"It's just that the love that is held between those two is so amazing and wonderful. That is what makes this moe!" Another one of her guests explained.

"Are you jealous Haruhi? You know you are still our favorite host," the original girl spoke up again when she had herself under more control.

Haruhi smiled her host smile, "Not at all ladies, I just didn't understand your point of view and now I do." She heard all of the girls talk about how cute she was just then and Haruhi decided to try to get the attention off of her and Hunny and asked, "So how has your day been today princesses?" Her guests immediately turned the subject of the conversation about their day and what they had planned. Haruhi didn't have to talk much more the rest of her hosting time so she was able to observe everyone in the room.

As Haruhi was looking around the room, she noticed Hunny running around acting carefree and happy. She rolled her eyes, _"He is going to act like he is completely fine until someone gives him a slice of cake_." She wondered what his plan was; she knew she would be on guard.

Hunny knew that if he wanted his sweets back, he needed to be able to prove to his cousin that he was all better. He couldn't act like his mouth was bothering him. Everything had to be completely normal. It had to be just as it was before the cavity. He iced down his cheek to get rid of the swelling and then plastered on his biggest happiest grin and ran up to his cousin telling him that he was all better and asking for a slice of cake. Mori held the power over his sweets right now and that is who he needed to convince in order to get his cake back. He was not expecting what happened next.

Mori heard his cousin running up to him and since they didn't have any guests at the moment, he was reading his book again. "Are you sure?" His cousin persisted that he was fine and his cavity was completely better. "Positive?" Again his cousin insisted that he was fine and told him the swelling had gone down. Mori knew he wasn't better and decided to prove his point by shoving a popsicle into Hunny's mouth. The pain that registered on his cousin's face told him that Hunny was in more pain now than he had been the previous day. Mitsukuni Haninozuka had just been beaten at his own game, he was not better.

Haruhi watched the popsicle incident and knew that the pain Hunny felt had to feel like a knife to the gut. She couldn't believe that he tried to say he was better when that was just not possible. The dentist hadn't been able to finish the job the day before due to some sort of emergency and Hunny was supposed to go back tomorrow. He would need a few more days before he was feeling better. She noticed that as Mori walked away, Hunny ran out the door. She almost got up to follow him, but the ladies sitting with her brought her back to the present and she couldn't go after him without creating an uproar.

Hunny had run into the bathroom and rinsed his mouth out with warm water. That made it feel a little bit better. Well plan A (use the cute) had not worked, now it was time for plan B (the indirect method). He hoped that he could convince his loyal customers to share a small slice, and at this point he would settle for a bite, of cake. He waited a little bit and then wandered back into the music room. He immediately walked up to two of his regulars and asked them what they were drinking and what they would be eating with their tea. When he heard they were going to have sandwiches, he started on his plan, "You know what would go really well with that tea is some sweets. I think you need some cake to go with the tea. What do you think?" He watched with anticipation for the girls to cave and give in to his needs, but instead they ran away apologizing to him. Plan B was a miserable failure.

Haruhi's customers had left her area when their time was up and she had no more designates for the day. She got up to walk around and stretch for a bit. She looked around the room to see if she could find Hunny and saw his customers running away leaving him in their dust. _"I wonder what he tried on them," _she wondered to herself.

Haruhi turned away from the sad scene and looked around the room. Mori was sitting at the table with a couple of girls and all of the other hosts seemed to have customers with them also. She was beginning to wonder what Hunny's next move was and was not surprised when she saw him walk up to her. What did surprise her and made her feel extremely guilty was the fact that he was walking up to her without his normal happy and enthusiastic attitude. He seemed downtrodden and beat down, like a kicked puppy. His head was hung low and tears were in abundance. "Hunny-senpai are you alright?" She asked him when he grabbed her sleeve.

"Haru-Chan, do you think I am a bad person? Does God hate me? I just don't understand why nobody likes me anymore. Why is everybody mean to me?" Hunny cried.

Haruhi moaned. She felt so bad for him and when he turned on the water works, she could not say no to him. He made her want to cry with him. She knew he was being overly dramatic, but she couldn't help but feel his pain. She looked around to see if anyone was watching them and then reached into her pocket, "Ok I will give you something, but you can't tell anyone and it is just this one time. Ok?"

"You will?! Is it a snack?" Hunny said immediately starting to perk up.

Haruhi handed over the contraband, "It is a snack and it is the same color as chocolate."

Hunny looked down as soon as the package touched his hand, this couldn't be happening. He was staring at a package of Kyoto Kelp. It may be the same color as chocolate, but it was **not** chocolate or sweet. He heard Kyoya calling Haruhi away from him and he couldn't look up away from the "snack". Plan C (pulling at heart strings) could be considered a failure also. He should have picked someone else. Haruhi had given in, but kelp was in no way what he was craving.

Haruhi approached Kyoya, "What is it Kyoya-senpai?"

"I noticed you were talking to Hunny-senpai. You didn't give him any sweets did you?" Kyoya asked as he pushed up his glasses to create a glare.

"No senpai, I can honestly say that I did not give him sweets," Haruhi responded. _"I may have given him something a little sticky and something considered a snack, but it was not sweet," _she finished in her mind.

"Please make sure you don't in the future. He knows how to trick people and persuade them to give in to his desires. Don't get pulled into his trap. That is all," Kyoya said in dismissal.

"Uh ok senpai," Haruhi said and then walked off towards a chair near the window. She didn't have customers, but she couldn't sit with Mori since he was still entertaining a couple of girls and it might look suspicious if they sit together too much. _"I don't know why I am fine with these girls throwing themselves at him and am bothered by that one girl. UGH! I shouldn't be upset. I trust him," _Haruhi argued with herself.

When club was over for the day and the customers were escorted out of the room, Haruhi walked over to Mori's table and asked him quietly if they were still on for tonight. She saw his slight nod yes and then walked off to collect her books, but was apprehended by the twins before she reached her destination, "What do you two think you are doing?"

"Come home with us Haruhi. You can try on some new designs," they said together.

"No, I am busy tonight. I have to study and I promised my dad I would help him with something," Haruhi grumbled as she was made into the middle of a twin sandwich.

"Please Haruhi," they begged.

"I said no!" She hollered.

"You evil twins get your hands off of my daughter! Don't worry Haruhi, daddy will save you!" Tamaki yelled running towards the trio. He was able to pull Haruhi away from the twins, but they tried to get her back. "Haruhi will not be going anywhere with you heathens. If she goes anywhere it will be with her daddy. Isn't that right Haruhi?"

"You are not my father Tamaki-senpai and I am not going anywhere with any of you. Let go! I have to get home!" Haruhi shouted. She felt herself being pulled free and looked down to see her boyfriend. She smiled at him and was tempted to kiss him, but decided that was probably not the best course of action. She settled for thanking him before she grabbed her back and ran out the door. She needed to get home to get ready for her date and didn't have time to deal with the three idiot musketeers.

Mori gathered his bag along with Hunny's bag and went to find his cousin. It took him a few minutes, but he found him crying in the back room, "Mitsukuni?"

"I'm fine Takashi. Let's just go home," Hunny mumbled. None of his plans worked and he didn't know what to do next. He had gone two days without his sweets and he wasn't feeling very well. His head was hurting from the lack of sugar. He needed his cakes back.

"Hn," Mori grunted. He felt like a world class jerk for doing this to his cousin, but it had to be done. He would make it up to him after he was better; however, the guilt was really starting to get to him. He almost told Haruhi that he needed to cancel for tonight, but he had already done that once to her since the cavity appeared, he couldn't do it again. It looked like he had some things to make up for with two people.

Mori and Hunny walked out of the club room and climbed into their limo. Tomorrow and the dentist couldn't come soon enough.


	3. Love and Hate

**A/N: Thank you to all of the readers and reviewers of this story. As we all know Hunny's plans didn't work and he is about to lose it. I want to give a huge thanks to stylewriter565 for the help on this chapter. Let me know what you think. :D**

Chapter 3 – Love and Hate

They all watched Hunny as he walked around music room three irritable and out of sorts. He was going through withdrawal and everyone knew it. Haruhi looked at Mori sitting at a table behind her and wondered if he was going to do something about his cousin. She knew that he was worried about Hunny. It had been more than obvious after their date the night before. Hunny may be going through sugar withdrawal, but Mori wasn't exactly acting like himself either.

Haruhi thought back to the night before. She wanted to talk to Mori about what the girl had told him, but she had chickened out when she noticed his mood wasn't the greatest and he seemed to be very distracted. As soon as she saw his distress, she decided that it wasn't that important and she would get over it. Mori was there with her at that moment and knew that the only other person he would really be with would be his cousin. Trust was not an issue. Jealousy on the other hand needed to be beaten down with a stick. It hadn't been their best date and Mori left promising that he would make it up to her. She knew that his mind was on his cousin and that was the reason he may have been with her physically, but not mentally. She wished he would have confided in her and told her why he was feeling so worried about a simple cavity.

The female host turned her eyes back to her sugar addicted friend and watched as he went to the pantry in search of any kind of sweets. He found nothing but Kuma-Chan, Tamaki-Senpai's stuffed bear. Slamming it down to the ground, he wobbled out of the pantry and appeared that he was moving towards the other hosts, but he didn't make it. Dramatically, Hunny fell to the ground in a heap. He had had no sugar or sweets for over 48 hours now and he was on day three of the ban. Haruhi wondered if he was alright, but didn't quite understand all of the fuss over a cavity. He almost acted like the world was coming to an end.

Tamaki yelled and threw a hissy fit when his bear hit the floor and yet he was the first person to try to approach Hunny as soon as he collapsed. Yes, everyone in the club looked on and discussed him as he paced and grew increasingly more irritated, but not one person did anything or tried to approach him. In fact when they saw that he fell to the ground, the twins could only remark how he gave up after only three days. Tamaki was the brave one and decided to check on the short host. Unfortunately, Hunny bit him and latched on like a piranha and wouldn't let go.

Mori watched his cousin attack their friend and knew he had to do something. He had to be the one to step in and take care of matters setting his cousin straight. He took a deep breath and released it before he got up from his table and walked towards Hunny and Tamaki. Sounding as stern as he could, he told him, "Mitsukuni you need to stop that and not attack other people when you don't get your way. It is dishonorable."

Tamaki was grateful that his arm was free and that Hunny was no longer attacking him. He thanked Mori and stated, "I thought I was a real goner there for a minute." He was not really paying attention to the cousins or he would have moved out of the way more quickly when Mori went flying through the air.

Hunny heard his cousin tell him to stop and all he could think about was the fact that it was because of Mori that he didn't have his cake or sweets. It was all Mori's fault and he had to pay for what he did to him. He was irritated and felt like if his cousin really loved him, he would have let him have something instead of making him go cold turkey. It wasn't fair and it was all his cousin's fault, "Takashi, you are a moron!" He grabbed his cousin's arm and threw him over his shoulder. "I could have a little bit and it wouldn't have hurt me, but you couldn't even let me have that. I hate you Takashi! I hate you!" His emotions overwhelmed him and he ran out of the room. He heard Tamaki call after him, but he was not going to stop. He had just tried to injure his cousin and best friend. He had told him that he hated him. His only option was to get out now.

Everyone was shocked by what happened. They couldn't believe that Hunny had attacked Mori. They were closer than most siblings and friends. They watched Mori stand and then stagger falling onto a table causing it to tip over in the process. He had to be in shock, right?

"Are you alright Mori-Senpai," Hikaru asked.

"Yah that was pretty harsh," Kaoru added.

"You seem to be self-destructing. What is going on?" Hikaru asked.

"Maybe he wouldn't hate you if you had given him a little bit of cake," Kaoru said trying to make his elder feel better.

That is what it all clicked. Haruhi understood why Mori had been feeling so worried and why he never seemed to be with her completely. He was feeling guilty about what happened and he did everything he could in order for his cousin to punish him. It was on purpose. She may not understand it all, but she knew for a fact that she was right. "You did all of that on purpose. Didn't you? You wanted him to hate you and to take his anger out on you. Am I right Mori-senpai?"

"That doesn't make sense. He does everything for Hunny-senpai," the twins said together.

"He wanted to punish himself. I'm right, aren't I?" Haruhi responded.

Mori shook his head slightly. He knew if anyone was going to be able to see through him, it would be Haruhi. She was always observant and was able to see in him what others tended to overlook. It was one of the reasons that he loved her, but in this, he was not expecting her to call him out on his actions. He realized that she was waiting for an answer, "Yah, you're right. I blame myself for Mitsukuni's cavity. Twice before he laid down for a nap, I forgot to remind him to brush his teeth. It was because of that he has a cavity. I am careless and should have looked out for him better."

The twins gasped and then gave each other a puzzled look. Hikaru started with, "That isn't exactly your responsibility Mori-senpai."

Kaoru added, "He should be old enough to know to brush his teeth without being told to do it."

"But if he has to get dentures or false teeth, it will be my fault," Mori moaned.

"You shouldn't worry about that, it is not going to happen," the twins said together.

"Geez you are such a pessimist!" Haruhi mumbled.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Mitsukuni had not thrown me in punishment," Mori continued.

Kyoya decided he needed to explain, "Mori-senpai is the self-appointed caregiver to Hunny-senpai. He felt it was his duty to make sure he brushed his teeth and because he failed to do that twice, he felt he was to blame. He sought punishment from Hunny-senpai to cover his guilt and make up for his failure."

The twins deadpanned, "It was just a little cavity. It wasn't his fault."

The twins, Haruhi, and Kyoya all looked at each other and agreed. The cavity was not Mori-Senpai's fault, but for some reason he felt that it was. It was a bit overly dramatic because it was just a little cavity, but they didn't completely understand Mori to begin with, so they weren't sure how to handle this situation. They didn't need to worry about it though.

Tamaki had gone after Hunny and convinced him to come back into the club room. They stood outside of the door and listened to the conversation between Mori and the other hosts and Hunny felt horrible. His cousin should not feel guilty about reminding or not reminding him to brush. He was the oldest member in the club and he knew what he had to do before he took his naps or went to bed. It was his responsibility and his alone. More tears started to form in his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The host club king opened the door a little more and looked down at his senior, "Well Hunny-senpai, what are you going to do?"

Hunny looked from Tamaki to his cousin and ran into the room crying, "I'm sorry Takashi. I don't hate you. I am so sorry. I promise I will remember to brush from now on. This isn't your fault, it is mine." He came to a stop and kneeled next to Mori on the floor.

Mori looked shocked at the intrusion of his cousin. He was expecting to have to go to him or hunt him down and beg for forgiveness, but here was Hunny crying and saying that he was sorry for what he did. He didn't know what to say, so he pulled his little cousin into a hug as he rambled. He pulled back and patted his back as a smile appeared on his face. Mori's load felt lightened and he no longer held onto the guilt. Looking up and searching out the eyes of his girlfriend, Mori saw a smile on her face and knew that she was happy for him and his cousin. He wanted to pull her into the hug with Hunny also, but now was not the time.

Club had been closed for the day due to Hunny's attitude, so there were no customers to worry about. The members of the host club soon dispersed from their fascination of watching the cousins make up and Mori left to take Hunny back to the dentist. The sooner he was able to have sweets the better for everyone's health and safety.

Haruhi got home and sat down at the table in order to start work on her homework. She thought about the day's events and smiled again. She was happy that Hunny and Mori had made up. Her boyfriend was a bit on the dramatic and pessimistic side when it concerned his perceived duty to his cousin, but he wouldn't be Mori if he didn't take his "duty" seriously. Sighing, she turned towards her homework and started to study.

An alarm started to sound off alerting Haruhi to the fact that she needed to start on dinner. She turned off the noise and stood up to stretch before making her way into the kitchen. She was just pulling out all of the ingredients when there was a knock at the door. Leaving everything on the counter and walking towards the door, Haruhi looked out the peep hole to see Mori leaning against the railing and waiting for her to answer the door. She unlocked the door and opened it, "What are you doing here? I thought Hunny-senpai was getting his mouth worked on."

"Already done," Mori said as he moved into the apartment and kissed the top of her head.

Haruhi blushed at the contact and smiled up at him, "Do you want some tea? I was just about to make dinner if you want to stay."

"Is your dad coming home for dinner?"

"He is supposed to be. Why?"

"I was thinking I could take you out to dinner to make the last few days up to you," he said shuffling his feet. Hunny was not the only reason he was feeling guilty this week.

Haruhi gave him a bigger smile and wrapped her arms around his waist, "You don't have anything to make up for. I know how things are between you and Hunny-senpai. I am not upset about it, but I would like you to stay for dinner if you can."

He wrapped his arms around her petite form and marveled (not for the first time either), how small she was compared to him, "I can stay."

"Ok, then you go into the living room and I will bring you some tea. Dinner will be ready soon."

"No, I will stay in here with you and help," Mori said. He didn't relish sitting in the room alone. He was there for Haruhi and even if it was just spending time with her while she flitted about the kitchen, he would take it.

Haruhi started to look disgruntled with him, but decided in the end that it would be nice to have him with her in the kitchen, "Alright."

Her father made it home just as dinner was being placed on the table, "Takashi it is good to see you again! Where is Mitsukuni?"

"Home. Good to see you again too Ranka," Mori replied to the older man.

"Dad, are you ready to eat?" Haruhi asked her father.

"Yes, yes, let's eat," Ranka said smiling at his young daughter.

Dinner passed in friendly conversation between the three of them. Ranka knew that his daughter was dating Mori and did not have an issue with it. He liked the stoic member of the host club and thought they were well matched. However, he did know that there had been some friction the last few days and was relieved to see that it seemed to have dissipated for the most part. After dinner, he excused himself to go to his room so that the young couple could have some alone time.

Haruhi and Mori cleared the table and did the dishes together. She had been thinking that although she trusts him, she needed to tell him that she was a witness to the girl's declaration of love. She looked up at him as he finished putting the last dish away and felt herself chickening out. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Takashi I saw that girl talking to you in the hallway the other day. I know that she told you that she loved you. I saw her ask you if you could return her love." Haruhi was looking into the sink as she spoke.

Mori was surprised. He knew that he had felt someone watching him during that ordeal, but he didn't think that it was Haruhi. Turning to look down at her, he lifted her in his arms and set her on the counter so that they were more level, "I don't love her."

"I know you don't and I trust you. I will admit that I felt jealous of her, but I know you are with me because you love me. I don't even know why I told you, but felt like I needed to get it off my chest."

"Ok," he said quietly and leaned down to offer her a kiss. Soon he was pulling her off of the counter and into his arms as the kiss grew more passionate. They pulled back with the ringing of his cell phone and it was probably a good thing, because momentarily they both forgot that Ranka was just in the other room. Setting Haruhi back on the counter, he fished his phone out of his pocket. "Hello?" He asked out of breath.

"Taka-bro, you need to get home. Dad said he needed to talk to you about something. I don't think it is serious though. I told him you were with Haruhi and he said to wait until after dinner then," Satoshi said laughing at the last part.

"Hmm, ok," Mori said into the phone and hung up as he turned to Haruhi, "Have to go."

She sighed. She loved Mori's family, but she wasn't quite ready to let him go, "Alright." Letting Mori help her from the counter, she walked him to the door and gave him a good night kiss before she let him leave, "I will see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he leaned down and gave one last kiss to her cheek and left. He wasn't sure what his father wanted to talk to him about, but he knew it was getting harder to leave her each time. For that matter, it was getting harder to see the other hosts clinging to her. It was time to talk about revealing their relationship to everyone.


	4. Discussions

**A/N: AnimeApprentice… not exactly on making him ask, there is a hint of him suggesting it though. Great guess! :D Originally this story started out as something that would just span the original episode, but I am thinking that it may go beyond that. We will see. Please read and review the new chapter. **

Chapter 4 – Discussions

Mori walked through the front door of his house and found his father waiting for him. Satoshi had told him that his father wanted to meet with him, but he was not expecting Akira Morinozuka to be lying in wait. He decided right then and there that if he got in trouble because his brother told him it wasn't urgent, Satoshi would find himself on the floor in their next sparring match. Mori may not be violent by nature, but he knew how to teach his brother a lesson when needed.

The tall stoic host quickly hid his surprise at seeing his father leaning against the wall by the front door and bowed to show his elder respect. When he righted himself he said, "Father, I am sorry if I kept you waiting. I left as soon as Satoshi called."

Akira smiled at his eldest son and placed a hand on his shoulder. Mori was turning into a fine and honorable man, and he could not be prouder of him. He excelled in his studies and at Kendo, and he was respectful and a gentleman; Akira could ask for nothing more of him. "There was no rush and you did not keep me waiting. I was informed that the car had returned to the estate and met you. There is a difference my son," Akira said putting his son's mind at ease.

"Yes father. Satoshi said that you needed to speak with me," Mori prodded.

Akira chuckled and shook his head, "So eager. How is Haruhi-Chan?"

"She is well. Now that Mitsukuni's cavity has been filled, we are both hoping things will go back to normal soon."

"I am sure you are. Come with me," the patriarch of the Morinozuka family said.

Mori followed his father without question. The pleasantries they had just exchanged were not unusual. His father and mother often asked about his girlfriend and how she was doing in school and life. They seemed to both like her and have not said anything negative about dating her, and yet he wondered if this little meeting was about her. Many families in his circle of society would have a problem with their heir dating a commoner and would forbid it. In fact many times, the children did not date because their marriages were arranged. Inwardly his heartbeat sped up in anticipation of the discussion his father wanted to have, outwardly he showed no change in his appearance as he followed his father into his office.

"Please have a seat Takashi," Akira said indicating the chair in front of the desk.

Mori sat down in the seat indicated still giving nothing away. He wondered briefly what he would do if his father told him that he could no longer date Haruhi. Could he accept that? No, he couldn't. He knew they were still young, but he loved her and knew that she was who he wanted. Clearing his throat, he spoke up, "What is it you needed father?" He had learned long ago not to make assumptions about what his father was going to say to him.

"You will be graduating in about four months and after that you will be going to university. However, as you know between graduation and entering university, you will be going on a survival trip for two weeks. Mitsukuni may or may not be joining you, that is his decision to make, but all Morinozuka men go through this test of manhood."

"Yes, father I know that. I am prepared," Mori said cautiously wondering why his father was bringing this up now.

"I know you are. You are probably more prepared than I was at your age," Akira mused.

Mori lifted his eyebrow slightly as the only indication that he was growing impatient, "What is all of this about father? You have always taught us what we need to know to pass survival tests and I am not worried about it."

Akira stood up and looked out the window towards the garden, "As you know after you pass your test, you are able to get married. I am not going to tell you who you need to marry or arrange a marriage for you; that is unless you want me to…"

"No father, I don't."

"I didn't think you did. I don't know how serious you are about Haruhi Fujioka, but be aware that I have heard things."

"What things?"

"Tamaki Suoh has stated that he plans to marry her. Although from my understanding, he also calls her his daughter. I have also heard that one of the Hitachiin twins want her and the parents will do what they can for the alliance." Akira turned back around to face his son, "I am not telling you this to force you into proposing or to tell you that you have to propose to her by a certain time. In all actuality, you would not be allowed to propose or officially become engaged until after your test of manhood, but you need to know what is going on around you and how it could affect your relationship with her. You will not be around her every day in the host club when you graduate. They will have more access to her, especially the Hitachiin. What you choose to do with that is up to you."

"I was aware of the interest, but not how far it had progressed," Mori said calmly. Inside he was jealous and wanted to tell his friends that they could not have her.

Akira studied his son for a moment. A complete stranger may see no change in his countenance and think he was calmly taking in this information, but his eyes told a different story. He was raging against the information he was given. Once again a sense of pride filled the older Morinozuka. His son could project an air of calmness even when he wanted to fight the world. Mori would have made a good samurai. "You are keeping your relationship secret for certain reasons. Some of which I do understand and some I do not, but that is your decision; however, I believe the time has come to speak up and declare yourself. I understand that you don't want this to get out to the school, but telling your friends is not telling the school. You create more problems staying silent than you would speaking now, and in the end it would ensure that neither you nor Haruhi is put in a compromising and/or awkward situation."

Mori listened and absorbed everything his father said and knew he was right. It was the same conclusion he had made before he left Haruhi's house. He looked up and met his father's eyes, "You are right. I will discuss this with Haruhi tomorrow."

Akira nodded and was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door and before he could respond to the knock, his wife opened the door and poked her head in. He chuckled and shook his head at his wife. Michiko Morinozuka was one person that did not always wait for his direction and he wouldn't change her. In front of important guests she did what she could to make him look perfect, but in front of family and close friends she did what she thought was right for her family. He was a better man because of her and he only hoped both of his sons could find the same happiness he had found. "Michiko is there something wrong?"

Michiko looked towards her husband and smiled. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She noticed her son stood up when she entered the room and bowed to show respect. Walking up to Mori with a smile she kissed his cheek before he completely righted himself. She then turned to look at her husband. "No, nothing is wrong. I was just wondering how your talk was going," she said with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.

That smile still took Akira's breath away after all of the years they had been together. He gave her an attempt at a stern look and said, "It is going well. We were just finishing up when you interrupted."

"You can wipe that look off of your face, I know it isn't real," Michiko said to her husband and then turned back to her son, "You father is telling you all of this so that you know what is going on and for your own good."

"I know mother and as I was telling father, I will be talking to Haruhi about all of this tomorrow after school," Mori said quietly to his mother. Personality wise, he took after his father while Satoshi took after their mother. She could talk just as much as his younger sibling and probably more so.

"Good! You can bring her here after school and discuss it before dinner," she ordered.

"I am not sure what her plans are for tomorrow," Mori said hesitantly. He knew he would lose this argument though because what his mother wanted, she got.

"We are having a family dinner tomorrow and you need to invite her," she stressed.

Mori sighed and saw the look his father was giving him. That look said that he better at least call and invite her or else. "I will call and invite her, but if she is unable to attend, then she will not be here," Mori stated cautiously. He didn't like disappointing his parents, but he wasn't going to force his girlfriend to do something she didn't want to do or couldn't do. She had attended family dinners before, but she usually had a little bit of notice.

His mother beamed at his declaration and said, "That will be satisfactory. Now have you eaten? Are you hungry?"

Akira rolled his eyes behind his wife's back, "Takashi that is all. You are dismissed if you want to leave."

Mori smiled at his parents. He wanted the type of relationship that they had. It started out as an arranged marriage, but it had been love at first sight and that love had grown through the years. They were comfortable with each other, the best of friends, and more in love now than they had ever been. "Thank you mother, but I ate at Haruhi's house. I will leave you two so that I can call her now about dinner tomorrow. Thank you father for the information you gave me. Good night," Mori said respectfully and bowed before leaving the office. He ran into his brother as he closed the door, "What?"

"Taka-bro is that any way to treat your favorite brother?" Satoshi asked grinning.

"Only brother," Mori said standing there and crossing his arms.

"Ok fine then. Are you in trouble? What did dad want? Do you have to break up with your girlfriend? Are they forcing you to marry someone? What happened?" Satoshi fired off question after question. He wanted to know what was going on and he had to find out now. Unlike his brother, he didn't always wait and observe because he was too impatient.

"No, I am not and no, they are not. They just wanted to talk to me about my survival test and some of the rumors they heard about people declaring their intentions for Haruhi," Mori said quietly. He knew that if he didn't give his brother answers, nobody would and he could cause problems with his eagerness.

"Oh, ok. Well if you need my help setting people straight, let me know! I do that for Yasuchika all of the time!" Satoshi offered with a maniacal glint in his eye.

Mori shook his head at his brother before ruffling his hair. He gave him a small smile and moved around him walking towards his room so that he could make his call in private. When he was on his bed, he called Haruhi and had to leave her a voice mail. He put his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling wondering what to do about the hosts and how they could tell everyone without destroying friendships along the way.

Haruhi got out of the shower and walked into her room. The first thing she did was check her cell phone. Mori liked to send her a text before bed to tell her good night. Instead of finding a text though, she found a missed call and new voice mail. Without listening to the voice mail, she called her boyfriend wondering what the bad news was. _"Stop it Haruhi, now you are sounding like the pessimist that you accused Takashi of being!"_ She told herself before she heard the deep baritone voice of Mori, "Sorry about that, I hopped in the shower. Is everything ok? What did you dad want?"

Mori smiled at the sound of her voice and noted that it sounded concerned. He took a deep breath and said, "It is fine. My mother wanted me to invite you to family dinner tomorrow if you are free. You can come home with me after school if you want."

The girl thought about it for a second. Her father was going to be working late since Friday and Saturday were two of the busiest days at the bar. She could make sure that there were leftovers for him if he needed something to eat, but other than that she didn't have any plans for the night, "Alright, I can do that. What else though? What did your father want?" She wanted to ask if his father was making him break up with her, but couldn't voice that thought out loud. Besides, why would they invite her to family dinner if Mori was being forced to break it off with her?

"We can talk tomorrow about the rest of it," Mori said letting out a large breath.

He sounded exasperated to her and that did not bode well, "No, I think you need to tell me what is going on now."

"Haruhi, it is nothing bad."

"If it is nothing bad, then you can tell me now."

Mori paused and realized he really had no choice in the matter. If he didn't tell her, she would worry something was seriously wrong, "Fine, I will tell you. My father wanted to talk about my survival test that I have to undergo after I graduate."

"I remember you telling me about it, but I know that isn't everything. If that was the only thing he wanted to discuss with you, he wouldn't tell Satoshi to call you and tell you to come home."

"After I pass the test, I can choose a bride and get married. And he…" Mori was interrupted before he could continue.

"Is he choosing a bride for you?"

"No, he isn't. They are not going to force me into an arranged marriage and are not going to make me to propose to anyone. Besides I cannot get officially engaged until after I pass the test," Mori was explaining.

"Ok and?" Haruhi said cautiously. She wasn't sure where this conversation was going any longer. Did he want to wait until tomorrow so that he could propose? Was there still a possibility of breaking up? Everything was foggy.

"Don't worry, I will get to choose who and when. I think the fact that I am with you right now and he knows that I care a lot about you is allowing me that option. However, he thinks that we need to tell the others that we are dating. Apparently Tamaki has said that he will marry you and one of the twins has decided he wants to pursue you for marriage also."

"Oh, I see. Wait, really?" Haruhi asked shocked.

Mori rolled his eyes and was thankful she could not see the exasperated look that flashed across his face, "Yes, really. Haruhi the other hosts have feelings for you also. I was just lucky enough that Mitsukuni invited you to my Kendo match one weekend and you allowed me to take you to dinner."

"Wait does Hunny have feelings for me also?" Haruhi asked horrified that they could be hurting someone so close to both of them.

"No, he thinks of you as a sister and that is all," Mori said trying to reassure her.

"Ok, I would hate to know that we were hurting him. I just thought not telling everyone would prevent drama and it wouldn't get around the school, but now you are telling me that people will get their feelings hurt. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"Because they have romantic feelings for me?"

"Yes."

"So it is either tell them now and set them straight, dashing any hope they harbored for a future together, and thus ensuring that their feelings do not grow further and that they stop whatever plans they could be concocting; or we continue to keep it a secret while feelings continue to develop, plans are made, and in the end the pain is greater."

"Yes."

"I don't want to hurt anybody!"

Mori sighed. He didn't either, but at this point there was no choice in the matter, "I know you don't, but the sooner we tell them the better."

Haruhi thought about everything he said, "Are you sure they have feelings? You know how Tamaki is and the twins just like it because I can tell them apart and they want their toy around."

Shaking his head, Mori said, "They have feelings."

"So what do we do?" Haruhi groaned.

"We will get through it together."

"That isn't what I meant," she stated.

A small chuckled escaped him, "I know."

"So?"

"We will tell them together and hope for the best. I am hoping that their feelings haven't fully developed into something too serious and that they will be able to accept us without too many problems, but I know that if it was me, it would be hard regardless."

"When and how do we tell them?"

Mori ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know."

"I don't either," Haruhi whispered. She was having a really hard time with this since she had no clue that other hosts had feelings for her.

Mori took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Why don't we sleep on it and then talk tomorrow after school."

Haruhi swallowed and tried to remove the dry desert that appeared on her tongue, "Ok, that is acceptable."

"Haruhi?"

"Yah?"

"We will get through this," he wasn't sure who he was trying to bolster, him or her.

"I know we will," she said smiling at his attempt to make her feel better. "I will see you tomorrow. I love you."

"Love you and see you tomorrow," Mori said before disconnecting the line. He got up to find his mother and tell her that Haruhi would indeed be joining them for dinner the next evening. Thinking about his conversation with his girlfriend, he realized that he had a lot more thinking to do and he did not relish telling their friends about their relationship. Part of him wondered if he should take his father's hint and just ask Haruhi to marry him, but knew it was too soon. Besides, his father would not allow it until after he passed his test. When that happened, he may actually propose to make sure the others knew to stay back. He knew that is what his father was telling him to do without outright telling him.

Haruhi placed her phone on her nightstand and stared at it for a long while. She didn't know what to think or feel about the revelations she received tonight. It made her nervous to see the others and guilty that she was about to hurt some of her closest friends. Wondering if there was a way to do it to minimize the hurt feelings, she lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. She fell asleep trying to think of a solution to their problem.


	5. Bonds of Brothers

**A/N: Thank you to Stylewriter565 for your help with this chapter. :) This story is turning into something more than what I originally planned, but that is not a bad thing. I am actually going to continue it and take it beyond the episode as per a couple of your requests (well it already has, LOL). Thank you everyone for the reviews and encouragement!**

Chapter 5 – Bonds of Brotherhood

Haruhi woke up with a start. She had been dreaming about telling the rest of the club about her and Mori, and their reactions. It wasn't pretty in her dream and she wondered just how close it was going to be to reality when they did break the news to them.

Mori had woken up at the break of dawn that morning and covered his eyes with his arm. He knew that he dropped a bombshell on Haruhi the night before and they had a lot to talk about today. He just hoped that she didn't regret being with him now that she knew the truth about the others. It was going to be hard to tell everyone that he and Haruhi had been dating for the past four months.

With a deep breath, he got up and got ready for his morning mediation and work out with his brother. He really hoped his brother would keep the talking to a minimum, he had a lot of things on his mind and trying to tune Satoshi out was not always the easiest thing to accomplish.

Mori walked out of his room where he found his little brother waiting on him looking for all intents and purposes like someone had stolen his best friend. He raised an eye brow in question and said only, "Satoshi."

Satoshi looked up at his brother and dropped his head again. He pushed himself away from the wall, "Let's go train."

Mori was confused to say the least. This was not his energetic, overly talkative brother. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Mori said, "Talk."

Satoshi looked up and down the hall and finally relented, "Ok, but not here. Let's go out to the dojo first."

Mori nodded his head and together they walked out of the house and out the back door to the small dojo on the estate. When they were inside, Mori turned to his brother expectantly and watched as his brother started to fidget.

"I think I might be in trouble," Satoshi started. When he saw his brother's eyebrow go up again in question, he continued, "My girlfriend called me last night after you went and called Haruhi." He saw the look of concern move across his brothers features, "No, no nothing like that. She isn't pregnant and we have not gone there."

"Ok," Mori said trying to figure out what his brother was trying to tell him.

"She told me that I have been ignoring her and paying too much attention to Yasuchika, and told me that I have to either spend more time with her and less time with Yasuchika or we are through," Satoshi said sounding down and out.

"What do you want?" Mori asked his brother. He had never encountered this problem before. He had been out a time or two with girls before Haruhi, but they never pulled him away from his perceived duty to his cousin; and Haruhi would never try to pull him away from Hunny. She knew what his duty meant to him and she supported him in any way she could. It didn't seem right to him that a girl would make someone choose between duty and family or a relationship. He knew if it was him which one he would make. If the girl was the right one, she would understand and not force Satoshi to pick.

"Our duty is to the Haninozuka and our family, but I really like her. Did Haruhi ever make you choose?" Satoshi asked curiously. He needed direction and answers.

"No, and she wouldn't. She understands about Mitsukuni and never tries to come between that. On the other hand Mitsukuni understands that I have a relationship with Haruhi and tries to give us our time," Mori explained.

Satoshi absorbed this information and processed what his brother was saying. He knew that Mori and Haruhi had a really strong relationship and cared about each other very much, but they were also very considerate of each other and the different things that each had going on in their lives. Mori had kendo and Hunny, while Haruhi had her scholarship to worry about and her father. Both were devoted to each other, but neither made demands on the other one. He looked up at his brother, "Not even this week when Mitsukuni had his cavity?"

"No, she understood when I cancelled on her or when I was distracted. She didn't like it, but she understood and supported me."

"That is the way it should be, isn't it?"

"I think so. Do you love her?" Mori asked curiously. He knew that his brother had only been seeing this girl for a little over a month, but that didn't mean anything. Mori knew he had feelings for Haruhi well before he took her to dinner after his kendo match. He knew that he didn't want the night to end or let her go when they had their first kiss, but he knew that he loved her when she invited him over for lunch and he told her that he and Hunny were together and she told him to bring his cousin along. She had prepared a cake for his short cousin. She won over his family and he found himself falling in love in only a matter of a few short weeks.

"Taka, how do you know if it is love or not?" Satoshi asked curiously. He didn't think he loved the girl. They had just started going out. It was too soon.

Mori smiled and patted his brother's head, "If you have to ask, then it isn't. You will know. It is just a feeling you get. I didn't know what it was before Haruhi."

Thinking about what his brother just relayed to him, Satoshi smiled, "When did you know it was love?" He was thinking his brother would say that he just realized it. He was not prepared for the answer he received.

"I knew it was definitely love and more than a crush or caring, two weeks after our first date," Mori offered his brother another smile.

"TWO WEEKS?! Taka-bro are you sure about that?" Satoshi asked shocked.

A small chuckle sounded from his tall brother, "Yes, two weeks and I am very sure. Sometimes it doesn't take a lot of time and you just know."

"When did you first say it to her?"

"I didn't tell her for another month, but that night she said she loved me too."

Satoshi sat down on the floor and started to think about everything his brother divulged. If he listened to his brother, then the girl he was with was difinitely not the one for him. He wanted someone like Haruhi, someone who would accept and understand his family and his duty. He heard his brother sink to the floor next to him and start breathing so that he could meditate. Satoshi did the same, but he meditated about the answer he would give his girlfriend today and when he opened his eyes again, he knew exactly what he would tell her. She was not the one and he couldn't be with her if she was going to make demands on him like that. Besides he knew that someone had to be there to keep an eye on Chika and it was his sworn duty to make sure that he grew up as an honorable man and not a brat. It was a long and hard road, but he was up for the challenge.

When they were done meditating, Mori looked at the time. There was no time to run through a workout, they would both have to get their practice in at Kendo Club. He stood up from his place on the floor and looked at his brother noticing that he looked more relaxed and wore a smile again. This was the brother he was used to seeing, "You made a decision." It was not a question; it was a statement of fact.

"I did. She is not the one for me if she cannot understand our duty. Besides who else would make sure that Yasuchika didn't get into trouble with his attitude and smart mouth?" Satoshi said laughing.

Mori smiled and shook his head, once again putting his hand on his brother's head and ruffling his hair, "Good."

They both walked back into the house and to their respective rooms in order to get ready for school. When Mori looked at his phone, he realized that he had a text from Haruhi. He smiled upon seeing her name and looked at the text, "Can u pck me up for schul?" That couldn't be good. He tried to call her but got her voice mail so he sent a text back to her, "Yah." Next he called Hunny and when he picked up the phone, told him that he would be over there a few minutes early to get him so that they could pick Haruhi up for school.

Hunny listened to his cousin explain that Haruhi asked Mori to pick her up and take her to school. Normally she didn't make such requests, so he knew that it could be something important, "No Takashi. You pick her up without me. I will get a ride with Sato-Chan and Chika-Chan. I think she needs to talk to you about something."

"I don't know," Mori said.

"I will be alright Takashi. You pick her up and I will wait for you at the front of the school," Hunny insisted.

"Ok," Mori reluctantly agreed. It wasn't that he didn't think his cousin could watch out for himself, but he still felt a sense of duty to watch out for him. He sent a text to Haruhi to let her know that he would be there shortly and then he finished getting ready for school.

When the car pulled up to Haruhi's apartment complex, Mori got out of the limo before the driver could open the door for him. He raced up the stairs and knocked on her door worried about what was going on and why she would need to see him this morning. As soon as he knocked, the door swung open and Haruhi was waiting on the other side. Mori did not miss the dark circles on her eyes or the fact that her eyes looked a little swollen. It was like a punch to the gut. He told himself that her appearance did not mean a broken heart for him. Taking her bag from her, he took her hand and together they walked down to the limo without saying a word. Once situated in the limo however, Mori could not contain his worry, "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine Takashi. I just had a hard time going to sleep and then a bad dream woke me up," she explained as she snuggled into his side.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"Yah, after all of that I just wanted to see you." She felt him relax next to her and realized that he had been worried about why she would ask for a ride. She started to laugh, but stopped herself. She looked up into his eyes and said, "I love you and knowing about the feelings of the others does not change that. I just needed to see you after our conversation and everything."

He gave her a rare smile and leaned down to give her a kiss, "I love you too."

Nothing else was said on the way to school. They just enjoyed being together and cuddling in the back of the car. When they were about to pull up to the entrance gate for Ouran, Haruhi asked the driver to pull over. Mori knew what she was doing since they had done this a few times before. She was getting out and would walk the rest of the way to the school so that no one saw them arrive together, threw a hissy fit, made wild accusations, or figured out what was going on. Mori knew one thing, once they told the others their secret, she wouldn't have to get out of the car early whenever he drove her to school. He couldn't wait.


	6. Talking

**A/N: Thank you Stylewriter565 for your help on this chapter. For everyone that has reviewed, favored, followed the story… THANK YOU! It is continuing and will go past the episode it started with. Enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 6 – Talking

Just as Hunny promised, he was waiting for Mori by the entrance to the building. He knew by now that although his cousin gave Haruhi a ride to school, she would be arriving separately and by foot. Shaking his head at the duplicity the two were carrying on in order to keep it from their friends, he scanned the area looking for the female host. He didn't see her yet, but she should be coming into his line of vision soon since Mori had just pulled up and gotten out of the car.

Mori stepped out of the car and saw his small cousin looking for something, or rather someone. He knew that Hunny was looking for Haruhi and making sure everything was alright. Hunny didn't like having to drop her off early so that no one would get their feelings hurt and had expressed his thoughts on more than one occasion. The arguments he presented always met a formidable match in Haruhi though and she never changed her mind unless it was raining. Mori walked up to Hunny and patted his head; he knew that Hunny would want to wait until he could at least see Haruhi getting closer to the entrance.

"Hunny-senpai, how is your mouth feeling?" Kyoya said stepping out of the shadows (he is a sneaky one).

Mori and Hunny turned to see Kyoya approach them. They were used to his ways and knew that he prided himself on his stealth tactics. Hunny still was not in the best of moods because he was not allowed sweets for another couple of days. The poor dentist got an earful from the young martial arts master and it appeared that he was going to continue his rampage on Kyoya, but he took a deep breath and turned away from the younger man, "They were finally able to fill it."

"He still cannot have cakes," Mori added so that Kyoya knew that there was still a sweet ban in place.

Hunny heard this and tightened his hands into fists, but he showed no other outward reaction to his cousin's statement. Seeing Kyoya's acknowledgement of Mori's words, made him want to punch something. He told himself to calm down, getting upset would not fix anything and he only had to wait another day or two before he could have sweets again. By Sunday he would be cleared and on Monday he would be enjoying his cakes during club time again. When he saw Haruhi approaching the entrance of the building, he turned to his cousin, "I am going to say hi to Haru-Chan. 'Kay?"

"Hm," Mori intoned and looked in the direction he knew Haruhi would be walking from. He saw Hunny run off towards her and he found himself cracking a minute smile at the scene. Hunny ran up to Haruhi and threw his arms around her waist, swinging her around. Setting her down, Mori could see that his cousin was talking animatedly to the young girl and when he saw her face fall, he knew that Hunny was complaining once again about lack of sweets. He turned to Kyoya only to see that the shadow king had disappeared once again. Shaking his head, he made his way over to his cousin and girlfriend.

"I just don't understand that if my cavity has been filled why the dentist and Takashi will not let me have sweets until Sunday!" Hunny pouted to his good friend.

Haruhi was trying really hard not to laugh as she saw Mori approach and raise one eyebrow at his cousin's words. Watching him roll his eyes made the task even harder. She finally cleared her throat and started to dig around in her bag. She extracted a paper bag and presented it to her small friend, "I actually have something for you that neither Takashi nor the dentist would be able to deny you. Everything in here is completely sugar free."

Hunny scrunched up his nose at the words sugar free, but decided he wouldn't be rude to his friend and accepted the bag. He opened up the bag and inside he found a chocolate brownie, some candy, and a piece of cake. His mouth was suddenly watering and although he knew it was sugar free, his eyes and stomach could not register that fact. A precious piece of cake had been handed to him and Haruhi had said he was allowed to eat it. "Thank you Haru-Chan!" Hunny said awe struck.

Haruhi chuckled at her friend, "You are very welcome Hunny-senpai."

"Haruhi…" Mori started before he stopped with one look from his girlfriend.

"I don't want to hear it! I was passing by a bakery yesterday selling sugar free cakes and desserts. He is not allowed the sweet stuff because of the sugar. This is sugar free and as long as he brushes after he eats it, it should be perfectly safe," she hissed at him.

Mori took a small step back and then sighed, "Fine. Mitsukuni, brush after."

"I will Takashi. I promise!" Hunny said excited to dig into his treats.

Mori and Haruhi watched Hunny lick his lips and then turn towards the building. They could both tell that he wanted his snacks now, but he did not have a fork. Haruhi started to laugh, "Come on Hunny-senpai, let's go inside and get you a fork so that you can eat your sweets." Before Haruhi could even finish the sentence, Hunny was racing for the building.

Mori looked down at Haruhi and then back at the figure of his small cousin as he rushed towards the building, "Thank you. He has been a little irritable."

"You're welcome, but you better catch up with him to make sure he doesn't kill someone to get to a fork. I will see you later," she said giving him a smile. Soon Mori was running away from her also and she was shaking her head laughing and continued her walk to the building in order to get to class.

As Haruhi walked into the building and passed the cafeteria, she saw Hunny finishing off his piece of cake. She smiled to herself, _"Well I guess he liked it if he finished it. He is smiling too, so that is a good sign."_ Continuing on without stopping, she moved towards her first class of the day but was stopped before she could arrive by two sets of arms wrapping around her: one at her shoulders and one at her waist.

"Hey Haruhi, want to come over to our house this weekend?" Hikaru spoke into her ear.

"We have some new designs you can try on. We will do whatever you want to do," Kaoru said into her other ear.

Both of them said together, "It will be fun."

"No, I have plans with my father this weekend," Haruhi said bluntly.

"You always have plans with your father lately," Hikaru accused.

"Yah so? You kidnap me and make me do club stuff all of the time. My father doesn't have a lot of time off and I promised him we would do something this weekend. Plus I have a test to study for and chores to do," she responded. Silently she added, _"And a boyfriend to spend time with and have a little discussion with concerning the club."_

Hikaru dropped his arm from her, "So that's it? You can't find time for us any longer?"

"Hikaru! She is busy now. We should have known better than to ask last minute," Kaoru said trying to placate his brother.

"Yah, whatever," Hikaru mumbled and walked into the classroom ahead of Kaoru and Haruhi.

"Sorry Haruhi. Can we get together another day or weekend?" Kaoru ask.

"Yah, just not this weekend or this coming week, actually, let's make it a week from Monday. For some reason I have a feeling something is going on next weekend and I can't remember what it is," Haruhi offered to the calmer twin.

"Ok, it's a date!" Kaoru said excitedly. He turned to his twin when he and Haruhi walked into the classroom and informed him of the new plan.

"I guess if that is all we can get right now," Hikaru mumbled. He just didn't understand why she was so busy and no longer had time for them. Not that they did much before, but it seemed as if lately, it was even less. It just wasn't fair.

Haruhi rolled her eyes at Hikaru, "I have other things I could be doing. If you don't want to hang out, let me know." The pouty act of his was getting old. He seemed to play this card every time he didn't get his way with her. In fact if what Mori said was true, that put his childish pouting in a whole new light and it made her feel a little uncomfortable. She didn't want to lead him on, but how did she tell him that she wasn't interested in him like that. Maybe she was reading too much into this, but maybe she wasn't. Yes, the sooner they told the club, the better she would feel.

Classes until club time seemed to pass by at a snail's pace. Haruhi was anxious to see Mori after the day she had with the twins. He had had a Kendo meeting at lunch, so he and Hunny had been absent during that time. She knew that she would not be able to say much to him, but being around him seemed to calm her and give her peace.

Hikaru had finally stopped grumbling about the lack of time he seemed to get with his toy and started to pry into exactly what she was going to be doing with her father this weekend. It was almost if he was trying to find out the plan so that he could show up unexpectedly. She honestly wouldn't put it past him, Tamaki, or Kaoru. In fact, she could imagine that the whole club would show up to meddle in her weekend plans if she gave them even a hint of what was happening. Just the thought of it all made her want to face palm and groan.

She stopped by the library to check out a book she would need for a report she was working on before she started to make her way to the 3rd music room. She was running a little late by the time she finally got out of the library, but she would still make it before it was time to entertain guests. Just as she crested the stairs and reached the floor she needed, she was intercepted and hurried off in the direction of the club room. "You know I can make it to host club without help," Haruhi exclaimed.

"We know you can," Hikaru started.

"But the boss was freaking out and said someone needed to find you," Kaoru finished.

"So here we are," they simultaneously said.

"Fine whatever! Just put me down, I can walk on my own," she said seriously. When Haruhi finished her tirade, she realized they had already made it to the music room. The twins opened the door and shoved her in.

Tamaki stopped his pacing and looked up, Haruhi was there and unhurt. He knew in his mind that he shouldn't worry, but something in him causes him to over react when she is late, sick, missing, etc. "Haruhi! You are alright! I was so worried that you were lost or kidnapped, or sold to the Yakuza. Those dirty twins didn't harm you did they?" Tamaki yelled as he pulled her into a crushing hug and started to swing her around the room.

Haruhi couldn't get away. She was pushing and struggling, but she was stuck. "Let go of me Tamaki-senpai. You are not my father!" She yelled as she tried to squirm free. Soon she was lifted out of the arms of Tamaki and placed behind a tall brick wall. Mori had rescued her once again.

"Mori-senpai you didn't have to do that. We were having fun. Weren't we Haruhi? You love it when your daddy pays attention to you?" Tamaki whined.

"Whatever, you are not my father," Haruhi stated. In the next instant, Tamaki yelled and then ran to his corner of woe. Haruhi just looked on and rolled her eyes. "Thank you Mori-senpai!" She said with a soft smile on her lips for him. When she received a returned slight upward curve from Mori, her heart fluttered and she felt her cheeks heat up. One would have to know the stoic member to see the smile, but it was there and it was only for her.

The twins didn't like the way Haruhi was smiling at Mori, nor did they like the blush that seemed to appear. Running up to her, they each grabbed an arm and pulled her away from the tallest member of the club. Neither of them saw the slight squinting of his eyes or the way he sighed in resignation before walking back to his cousin.

"It will be alright Takashi," Hunny said trying to cheer his friend up.

"Yah," Mori replied. He turned to look at where the twins had dragged Haruhi and shook his head. They were trying their act on her and putting her in the middle of it. He didn't worry so much about the twins because she pretty much knew how to handle them and get away when it was just them. Throw Tamaki into the mix though and she had problems.

Haruhi listened to the twins go on and on. She knew that they were trying to provoke Tamaki and that they were trying to stake their claim to their "toy". It was the same every day and she was just happy that she had Mori to keep her sane. When she saw an opening, she slipped from their grasp and walked over to Hunny and her boyfriend.

"Hi Haru-Chan!" Hunny greeted his friend.

"Hi Hunny-senpai. Did you get to eat your treats?" Haruhi said smiling. She noticed the question sent Mori's eyes heavenward and she laughed internally.

A big grin appeared on the short senior's face, "I did. It wasn't as good as my normal cakes, but it was a good substitute! I ate the cake this morning and then the brownie at lunch and ate the candy throughout the day." The usually happy teen turned sullen. Tears started to form in his eyes as he looked at Haruhi, "But now I don't have any more of it and I still can't have sweets."

Haruhi leaned in very closely to whisper in his ear, "Maybe we can stop on our way home today and pick up some more sugar free cake for you."

Hunny's eyes grew and the tears, although glistening in his eyes, seemed to have stopped, "Thank you Haru-Chan!"

Haruhi smiled at her small senpai and his taller cousin before making her way into the kitchen to prepare for today's club activities. She jumped when Kyoya entered the kitchen carrying his black notebook and said, "Be careful Haruhi. People are starting to notice." He shut his book with a  
snap and walked out to return to his table. Mumbling to herself about shadow kings and being too quiet, she finished the tea and made her way out into the club room.

Club time passed by quickly enough and soon Haruhi was picking up the dirty dishes from everyone's stations. Mori was helping her clean while keeping an eye on his sleeping cousin, but everyone else seemed to be lounging around and didn't even try to lift a finger to help clear the mess. Kyoya was working on the club's finances, so he had an excuse, but the others were just spoiled and didn't want to help. Mori had to keep himself from telling them to get up and help since Haruhi told him several times that it was easier if they didn't help. Several more broken pieces of china and a bigger mess always followed the twins and Tamaki helping.

Tamaki had been briefly talking to Kyoya about the next cosplay for the club when he spotted Haruhi, and she was no longer safe from the king. "Haruhi you look so cute today!" He yelled and ran over to her to hug her. "Daddy is so proud of you. You did such a good job picking everything up. How about I take you home and we can stop for ice cream to give you a treat?"

"No thank you senpai," she said trying to get away from Tamaki. At her denial, his arms loosened and she was able to break free.

"B-b-but Haruhi we don't get to spend any daddy/daughter time together anymore," Tamaki wailed.

"Sorry senpai, but I have plans tonight and this weekend. I promised my father I would spend some time with him," she said. When she looked up from dusting herself off and straightening her clothes, she realized what she had said and to whom. He was smiling and his eyes were glassy. He had entered his inner mind theatre, but before it could go too far, Haruhi said, "Not you, my real father."

Tamaki deflated and ran to his corner, but plans were turning in his mind. If he showed up this weekend, he may be able to impress Ranka and get on his good side. He had to try! This was for his daughter after all. He had to be sneaky and covert because inviting the twins could blow his chances on showing Ranka he really is a good person.

Haruhi left Tamaki to his corner and walked into the kitchen to take care of the remaining dishes. Mori was already in there and washing some of the cups and saucers. She made sure the door was shut and walked up to him and signaling him to bend down; she gave him the briefest of kisses on the cheek, "Thank you for your help earlier."

"You are very welcome," Mori said as he brushed his fingers against her cheek in a caress. They dared not do much more since the chances of getting caught increased, but they would take the moments they could get.

"So what is the plan for today? I told Hunny we could go to that bakery," Haruhi said and noticed the slight tightening of his mouth and wanted to laugh, "It was sugar free so get over it."

"Ok, you pretend to leave like you usually do and meet us at the front gate. We will pick you up there," Mori said sighing.

"It will be alright Takashi," Haruhi said feeling the same irritation creeping up at sneaking around. It was her wish to do this, and normally she didn't let the irritation get to her, but today she wanted nothing more than to be able to walk out of the door with Mori and not worry about anything.

Mori brushed her hair behind her ear, "I know. I will finish up here. You get your things and head out. Since we have the car, if we left together, we would beat you."

"Ok, I will see you soon," Haruhi whispered and walked out of the kitchen. Scanning the room she saw that the twins had already left, Tamaki was talking to Kyoya, and Hunny was still sleeping. She walked into the back room to get her belongings and just as she made it to the door when Tamaki yelled for her to wait. Turning around slowly, she fixed him with a glare, "Tamaki I am running late and have to prepare dinner. What do you want?"

Tamaki yelped and started to curl into a ball before he thought better of it. He cleared his throat, "I will take you home my daughter. You don't need to walk home. Who knows what can happen to you?"

"No. I want to walk because I have a couple of errands to run before I go home," Haruhi stated bluntly and started to walk to the door again. She was stopped by Tamaki before she could open the door once again.

"Haruhi, I insist. Mommy, please tell our daughter that it is only right that a father gives his daughter a ride home," Tamaki said trying to get support from an unlikely corner.

Haruhi tried to send a pleading look to Kyoya. She suspected he knew that she was with Mori and maybe he would help her now. She knew he hated to be called mommy and by not giving Tamaki his support, it would irritate the king to no end. However, Kyoya was Tamaki's best friend, so she hoped that her plea did not fall on deaf eyes.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes on the female host. He knew that she was silently asking for his help and today it was easy enough to give aid since Tamaki had to be elsewhere, "Tamaki I suggest you straighten yourself up. I thought you had dinner plans with your father and you still have to go home and change for that. You do not have time to take Haruhi home."

"Eek I completely forgot about dinner. Mother will you please see our daughter home? I am so sorry I cannot give you a ride today. Daddy will see you soon though, I promise!" Tamaki spilled as he quickly made his way out of the club room and met the car that had been waiting for him.

Haruhi let out a breath hard and fast when Tamaki was finally gone, "Thank you Kyoya-senpai!"

"You do realize that I don't do anything for free and without merit. I will add it," Kyoya smirked.

"I am well aware and today I don't care," Haruhi said giving him a smile. Now she didn't have to sneak off and she could leave with Mori. The man of her thoughts exited the kitchen at that time and her smile grew.

"Well I don't have time to make sure you get home. Mori-senpai can you make sure that Haruhi gets home safely?" Kyoya said starting to pack up his things.

"I can," Mori said kind of confused as to what was going on. He shook his head and went to collect Hunny.

Kyoya passed Haruhi and in a low voice said, "I suggest you and Mori-senpai tell everyone soon. It will only get harder the longer you wait."

That statement confirmed her suspicions, "We are going to tell them on Monday. Although I have a feeling I will be visited this weekend even though I told those three morons not to bother me."

Kyoya smirked, "Let's just say that it would not surprise me if we ended up at your house." Tamaki had already told him what he had planned to do to win over Ranka this weekend and knew that he needed Kyoya there to help him in his time of need. He had also overheard the twins saying that it would be fun to surprise Ranka and Haruhi this weekend. Unless Haruhi was not at home, her apartment would be invaded. The only thing he could do was give her a warning.

"Thank you for your help Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi said softly.

Kyoya didn't respond except for giving her a nod to let her know that he had heard and then made his way out of the club room shutting the door behind him. He really hoped that they told everyone soon. He had actually known about it fairly soon after it happened. Not only could he see a difference in the trio and especially Mori and Haruhi, but Ranka had finally spilled the beans and confirmed his suspicions. He was happy for his two friends, but knew that there would be backlash from at least Tamaki and Hikaru and hoped that it would not destroy the club.

Hunny easily woke up when his cousin started to lift him from his sleeping place. In fact, he had already been up for quite some time. He heard about the plans that Tamaki had made with Kyoya and the plans the twins were plotting. He heard Tamaki offer Haruhi a ride and the fact that Kyoya had helped the girl dodge that bullet. It appeared that Kyoya knew the secret of the natural host and the wild host, and was helping them keep the secret for now. This was interesting. "I am awake, Takashi," Hunny said getting off of the couch himself and walking over to Haruhi, "Are you ready to go? I would really like some more cake!"

Haruhi laughed, "Yah, let's go. It appears that I don't have to sneak to the gate and can leave with both of you." She waited with Hunny by the door to the club room as Mori made his way over to them.

Mori was struck again at the smile she reserved for him. It took his breath away and he could not get enough of it or her. Leaning down and giving her a kiss, he said, "Let's go."

Haruhi explained everything that had happened to Mori when they made it to the limo. Hunny had filled in the blanks about Tamaki and the twins. Mori's confusion may have ended, but his irritation was quickly growing.

After a quick stop at the bakery and Hunny buying out the store to make sure he had enough to carry him through his sugar ban, they were pulling up to the Morinozuka estate. Hunny grabbed two of the boxes and instructed the driver to have everything else sent to his house. He turned around and noticed that Haruhi and Mori were already making their way inside the house and he smiled. They were good together and he was happy they found each other. He made his own way inside the house and went immediately to the kitchen to get a plate and fork. After he finished his snack, he would search out Satoshi and Chika since he was not sure how long this talk Mori and Haruhi were about to have would last.

Mori took Haruhi to the library and they sat down on one of the couches. On the way in, he instructed a maid to bring in tea for them. Neither one of them wanted to start the conversation about the host club until they knew they would not be interrupted, so until the maid returned, they cuddled and enjoyed the company of each other.

Once the maid delivered the requested tea and left, Haruhi took a deep breath, "So how do we want to do this? I know you said Monday, but we know from Hunny and Kyoya also let it slip, that the club may be making an appearance at my apartment even though I told them I was busy all weekend."

This hadn't been news to Mori. The club was always forcing themselves on Haruhi. Part of the club was trying to get her attention and the other part was going along for the ride or trying to help someone else further their cause. "If there are plans, Mitsukuni and I have not been told yet. I know you and your father were supposed to come over here tomorrow for lunch and tea. Do we want to cancel and do it another weekend?"

Haruhi thought about it for a second. It might actually be best to tell the club away from the school, but she didn't want them to destroy her house if they pitched a fit. Plus she really did have plans with her father; they just also included her boyfriend. "No, we will come over here tomorrow morning like planned. I will call Kyoya and let him know that if the host club is planning on surprising me, Sunday would be a better day because I will not be home on Saturday. If he knows it will be a waste of time to show up on Saturday, he will be able to discourage Tamaki from popping up."

"Ok. What about the twins?" Mori asked.

"If they show up, they show up. I won't be there, but they won't be as bothersome as Tamaki is."

"So you want to tell them this weekend instead of Monday?"

"If they show up, we tell them. If they do as they are told and stay away, we tell them on Monday."

Mori had seen that look on her face many times, she was thinking and the wheels were turning, "What?"

"I am just trying to think if it would be better to tell them at my house or at school. I don't want my house destroyed," she mumbled.

"What if we all go to the park if they come over and your apartment can stay host club free and safe."

"That will work. So now we have the when and where, how are we going to tell them? I know that Hikaru is starting to really get an attitude about the fact that his toy is not available to him all of the time. I am sick of it. Honestly, I am sick of the whole toy routine. When it happened this morning, I thought about what you said and it put everything into a different perspective from me. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I am tired of hiding us. I also don't want anyone to get their hopes up about a future with me when I am with the one I want to be with."

"We just need to be honest and tell them that we are together and love each other."

Haruhi looked at Mori and rolled her eyes, "Yah, I can just see it now Tamaki will go into daddy mode and Hikaru will throw a temper tantrum." When she caught the look in his eyes, she knew that this was just as hard for him. He didn't want to hurt their friends either, but no matter how they did it, it was going to hurt. They just needed to rip the band aid off fast and hope that it didn't cause too much pain, "You're right. We just need to be honest and hope for the best. There really isn't a way to ease into this, is there?"

Mori pulled her a little closer and offered his strength to her, "No there isn't."

"Ok. We will just tell them that you and I are together. If they can't accept it, then they can't accept it," Haruhi said softly. She hated this, hated that she would hurt her friends. If she didn't know the truth of their feelings now, it would be easier for her to tell them, but with the knowledge comes the guilt.

Mori knew that this was hard for her. He wanted to shield her from the guilt they were both feeling and from the hurt they were about to inflict on their friends. There was nothing they could do though, it had to be done. Both of them were tired of sneaking around and fearing that they would be caught. Mori was tired of Tamaki and the twins taking liberties with her that they shouldn't be. It was time for it all to stop, and now that he was done dealing with Hunny's cavity, it couldn't be put off any longer. He kissed the top of her head and just held her. No matter what, they would get through this together.


	7. Contingency Plans

**A/N: I wanted to let everyone know that I am already working on the sequel to Never Assume. Chika and Satoshi are in 1A at the high school now and are part of the host club. You can only imagine what trouble Tamaki and the twins will get into now that Chika and Haruhi are in the same school and club together. As for Haruhi's Bitter Days, thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favored, and alerted the story. It has been really fun to write it. Here is the next chapter, review if you can.**

Chapter 7 – Contingency Plans

Mori and Haruhi had their plans set. They knew what they were going to do and depending on what the rest of the host club did, they knew where and when they were going to spring their news. Neither was looking forward to what was sure to be a confrontation instead of a meeting of the minds, but both of them knew that it had to be done; and although they didn't want to hurt their friends, they were looking forward to not having to hide everything and being afraid to get caught by another host. The experience in the end would prove to be liberating for the couple: at least that is what they hoped.

As Mori and Haruhi made their way out of the library, they were attacked by a small blonde with a bunny. Hunny had been excited to see his friends and find out what the plan was. Plus he had received a call from Kyoya. The host club was to gather at Haruhi's tomorrow at 1:00 pm. Hunny knew that Haruhi would be over at Mori's house by that time with her father, but he wanted to give the couple fair warning because he was told to let Mori know also. "Takashi, Haru-Chan I have to tell you something! Kyo-Chan just called. The club is supposed to meet at Haruhi's house at 1:00 tomorrow," Hunny said in a serious voice. He did not like the club messing with his favorite couple.

Mori and Haruhi looked at each other. Mori was resigned and knew it was coming. Haruhi was fuming on the inside. She told them that she would be busy and although she expected something like this, it irked her that she couldn't even have a day with her father. "I will make the call," Haruhi said pulling out her cell phone.

Mori thought about it for a second and stopped her from finishing her call, "No, don't call. Come with me. Mitsukuni, you too." He led them back into the library. Once the door was once again closed, he turned back to the confused looks on his cousin's and girlfriend's faces. "Teach them a lesson," he said with a hit of a smirk.

Hunny's face lit up. He knew exactly what his cousin was talking about and had suspected that is why he told Haruhi not to call Kyoya. It was time the club learned that Haruhi had a life outside of the host club and when she wasn't home, well there would be a bit of panic from Tamaki, but the club had been warned that she had plans with her father this weekend. With an evil grin, he said, "Good idea Takashi!"

"So you want me to not call and let them come over when I am not there? Tamaki will freak and bother my neighbors and I am not sure what the twins will do," Haruhi said bluntly.

"You warned them," Mori replied.

"He is right Haru-Chan. You told them all that you would be busy with your father this weekend. If they show up and you are not there, then that will teach them to listen to you more. Tama-Chan will not bother your neighbors because Kyo-Chan will be with him to prevent a scene. Everyone knows that you are going somewhere with your father, so go with your father and keep your plans. Let them keep their plans," Hunny explained with his grin growing.

"Ok, but what about Takashi? He is part of the host club also and we are supposed to be here tomorrow for lunch and tea," Haruhi asked. Since Mori was a part of the host club, he will be expected to be there.

"Family obligation and kendo tomorrow," Mori said simply.

"Do you think they will buy it?" Haruhi asked.

"They will because they know how loyal Takashi is to his family and if we throw in kendo, they will just think that he has a tournament or practice that he can't get out of. Plus it isn't a lie. He does have a family obligation tomorrow since you both are coming over and he does have kendo because he and Sato-Chan will be giving a demo in the morning before lunch," Hunny giggled.

"So you are going to go alone? Or are you coming here tomorrow?" Haruhi asked the shorter man.

"I will go with them to keep an eye on them. I was invited to come tomorrow, just as Chika-Chan was, but I think it would be better if I went with the club. Maybe I can go to the bakery and get some more cake," Hunny said getting excited. He wasn't sure if the amount of cake he bought would be enough to last him until Sunday.

Mori shook his head, "Mitsukuni that may not be a good idea."

"I will be fine Takashi. I will take my own driver and Kyo-Chan will be there to make sure that everything stays calm. The bakery is on the way home from Haru-Chan's apartment, so I will just stop when I am on my way home," Hunny said explaining.

Haruhi walked up to Mori and grabbed his hand. He needed to learn to let go a little. Those two would not always be around each other and they had their own lives to live. "He will be fine Takashi. He knows more about martial arts than anyone else in Japan and he will have his bodyguard with him. He promises that he won't attack anyone due to lack of sugar now that he has a substitute. Right Hunny?" she said turning towards her friend.

"Right Haru-Chan. I will not bite or attack anyone else due to lack of sweets," Hunny said crossing his heart as he gave his promise.

Mori rolled his eyes, "Ok, we will do it your way." It wasn't that he didn't trust Hunny alone, he didn't trust the club with his safety and they were going to Haruhi's part of town. It was a little less safe than their neighborhood. Add that to the fact that his cousin has been sugar deprived and it could be a recipe for disaster. He would feel more comfortable about it if he cousin wasn't on a ban. A short fused bunny loving senior is a safety hazard for anyone found around Hunny.

"Yay!" Hunny yelled right before he tackled Mori.

Mori patted Hunny's head and smiled. Then he turned his attention to Haruhi and his smile grew a fraction. Leaning down he kissed her and said, "It will work."

Haruhi knew that he wanted to teach the club a lesson, but that last part was not only assurance for her, but for him as well. She gave him a big smile and said, "Yes, it will. Don't worry about anything."

Hunny laughed next to them and both Haruhi and Mori turned to him with a questioning look, "I just am ready to see everyone's faces when you are not there. You did warn them though."

"You know Hunny, I think you can be as devious as Kyoya-senpai when you want to be," Haruhi said laughing.

"You're right Haru-Chan!" Hunny laughed some more.

Mori just stared at the two closest people in his life and smiled. Shaking his head, he said, "Come, let's go find Yasuchika and Satoshi." He really wanted to find his brother to find out what happened with his girlfriend. He had meant to seek him out as soon as the talk with Haruhi had been completed, but with the news of the phone call, it did not happen. They still had about an hour before dinner, so he had time to talk to his brother now.

"Hunny, why don't you let me go last? I would rather not get in the middle of you and Chika," Haruhi said when she realized she was walking right next to Hunny.

"Don't worry Haru-Chan. Uncle has told us that we are not allowed to fight in the house especially not when others are around that could get hurt. So there will be no fighting tonight unless we are outside or in the dojo," Hunny explained.

Haruhi wasn't sure if she was relieved or not. She knew that she could trust Hunny, but Chika tended to be a bit of a hot head. "Ok, if you say so," Haruhi said tentatively. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked around finding her boyfriend right behind her.

"If he does anything, we will protect you. You will not get hurt," Mori declared.

"He is right Haru-Chan!" Hunny agreed.

Haruhi's expression softened and a smile was once more lighting up her face, "Ok, I will leave it to you two then." She took Mori's hand and linked their fingers together and they all started down the hall in search of the younger Morinozuka and Haninozuka teens.

They eventually found Chika and Satoshi in the gardens. When Chika looked up to see his older brother approaching, he was about to attack (hey they were outside), but stopped himself when he realized that Haruhi was with them. As much as he wanted to fight his brother, he wasn't going to attack with the chance of an innocent getting hurt. Besides if he did, his uncle would kill him and then he would have to contend with his father. That was not a pleasant thought. "Mitsukuni, what do you want?" Chika sneered at his brother.

"We had this talk Yasuchika! You are supposed to be polite in front of a lady. You didn't even say hello to Haruhi or Taka! What did I tell you about being rude?" Satoshi said yelling at Chika.

Chika pushed up the glasses on his face, "Hello Haruhi. Hello Takashi. Now what do you want Mitsukuni?" He felt a hard hit on his head and it sent his glasses flying off of his face. "What did you do that for?" He yelled turning around to face Satoshi.

"You apparently needed a reminder about your manners so I thought I would help you to remember!" Satoshi said yelling at his cousin.

"I know my manners! I said hello to your brother and his girlfriend, did I not?" Chika said taking a menacing step forward.

Satoshi not once to be intimidated by Chika took a step forward also and they were soon nose to nose, "You were rude and you need to remember that there are more people than Mitsukuni here. Now are you going to be a polite guest or am I going to have to remind you of your manners again?"

Both of the young teens stopped glaring at each other and turned towards the sound of laughing. Hunny and Mori were standing in front of Haruhi in case their brothers came to blows, but behind them Haruhi was doubled over and laughing. She looked like she was having difficulty breathing since she was laughing so hard. Both of them just stared at her like she had grown another head.

Hunny and Mori turned and looked at Haruhi laughing her head off. She couldn't quite catch her breath and tears were starting to roll down her face. They hadn't heard her laugh like that since the host club, minus Mori of course, dressed up like girls to try to get her to stay at Ouran. Of course Hunny and Mori knew she wasn't leaving, but couldn't convince Tamaki and the twins of that. Thus Tamaki came up with a plan to make sure she stayed at Ouran and in the host club. Everyone would dress as a girl. Mori refused and thankfully they could not find a dress that would fit him (if there had been one long enough, he would have been in a dress too). Hunny didn't have a problem with it and thought it would be fun. She entered and soon found herself with a full belly laugh and couldn't stay upright. She fell to the floor and continued her laughing.

"What is so funny?" Chika asked the girl.

"You two! You sit there and fight and then Satoshi hits you when he thinks that you need some correction. Now you two were nose to nose and staring each other down about whether you were polite enough or not. I have heard some of your arguments and have seen Satoshi go after you for a lot of things, but tonight it was just hilarious to me to watch you two. Satoshi, he said hello and he was nice enough not to attack Hunny with me standing right here," she said regaining some composure as she walked up to the younger men. She looked at Satoshi first and said, "Baby steps Satoshi, baby steps." She then turned to Chika, "Sorry for laughing, but it was funny. Hello to you too. We came to find you two because we still have a little bit of time before dinner and wanted to see what you were doing." She turned to their brothers, "Right?"

"Right Haru-Chan!" Hunny said smiling. She was the only one, besides he and Takashi, he knew would get in the middle of those two when they were fighting.

Mori grinned at his girlfriend amazed that she diffused the situation like she had. He looked at his brother, "Satoshi can I talk to you?"

"Sure Taka-bro!" He started to move towards his brother when he stopped and turned around. He handed his shinai to Haruhi and said, "Just in case he gets out of line or you have to break him and Mitsukuni up."

Haruhi laughed, "I think I will be ok." She took the weapon from him anyway thinking that she would keep it from him and save Chika a concussion. She knew that Mori had wanted to talk to his brother about something, so she wasn't surprised when he pulled his brother away for a conversation. She turned back to Chika and started to talk to him knowing that he wouldn't really want to talk to Hunny unless he could fight him.

Mori led his brother to another part of the gardens that led to the dojo, and he did not stop until he was sure they were a distance away from everyone else. When he turned around Satoshi was right behind him. He opened his mouth to speak, but his brother beat him to it.

"I know what you are wondering Taka and I broke up with her. She seemed a little mad that I would choose family over her, but that just confirmed to me that I made the right choice. I know I didn't love her, but I am still a little sad over it all. I really liked her, but it hurt that she would try to put those demands on me. I want to find someone like Haruhi that will accept me for me and understand that I have a duty to my family," Satoshi said looking off into the distance.

"I know and you will find her someday, just not today. If she cannot accept who you are wholly, then she is not the one for you. Your duty and family are part of who you are. You take your position in Yasuchika's life very seriously (maybe too seriously?) and you will find that person that will accept that and support you. I will not say that they will always agree and it won't cause problems, but that person will never make you choose between her and family," Mori said placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I know Taka. Thank you for this morning and being there for me."

"You are my brother and I love you." Mori pulled his brother in for a hug and when he pulled back, he patted his head. "Let's go see if anyone is hurt," he said and started to lead the way back to the others.

When the two Morinozuka brothers arrived back at the small group, they stopped suddenly at the sight before them. Haruhi was holding the shinai and Chika was showing her how to use it. That was not something they expected to see upon returning to everyone. They both watched as Chika very patiently instructed Haruhi in proper weapon technique while Hunny sat off to the side and would nod or give encouragement periodically. They let this go on for another ten minutes before they made their presence known, Satoshi with a big smile on his face and Mori with a small smile and a cocked brow.

Haruhi turned a bright smile upon her boyfriend when she saw him approach, "Chika was showing me some kendo moves."

"I see," Mori said looking at his girlfriend holding the bamboo sword and feeling a sense of pride swelling in his chest.

"Well Satoshi did leave his shinai and we were all just standing here when you two left. I figured I may was well show her a couple of things before she hurt someone," Chika grumbled. He wasn't going to admit that he had liked teaching the girl how to use the shinai. Normally he didn't get to teach and it was a nice change of pace to impart knowledge to someone else.

Satoshi ran up to Chika and rubbed his head vigorously, "I am so proud of you Yasuchika!"

"Chika-Chan was really good with her Takashi," Hunny said beaming. He was really proud of his brother for teaching Haruhi and the patience he exhibited in doing so.

Mori nodded, "We saw some of it. You did good Yasuchika."

Chika blushed. He was ecstatic at getting praise from Mori, especially when it came to kendo. Although he studied kendo, it was not his forte. He bowed and said, "Thank you Takashi."

Mori turned his attention to his girlfriend, "Do you want to learn?"

Haruhi thought about it for a minute. She hadn't been sure about learning kendo prior to the small lesson she just received, but she did need to learn some form of martial arts per the rest of the club, "I had fun learning and all of the hosts think I need to learn some form of self-defense. True? So, I guess I would like to learn, but should I learn kendo or something else?"

"You can learn both. Karate or judo for self-defense and kendo will just help you with both of those in addition to teaching you other techniques," Mori explained. Although he wanted her to learn kendo, when it came to defending herself, another form of martial arts was probably better.

Haruhi smiled at him, "Ok, I will learn both then! Who is going to teach me?"

"I can teach you kendo," Mori said smiling down at her. Without taking his eyes away from her, he said, "Yasuchika and Mitsukuni do you want to teach her karate or judo?" Chika had been really good with his little impromptu lesson about kendo and Mori thought that he would be really good at teaching her how to defend herself. However, Chika was still the captain of the karate club and a member of the judo club, so he might not have much time to train her. If he switched off with Hunny, she would be able to learn at a good pace.

"I don't think it is a good idea that we train her together," Chika said. He wouldn't mind teaching her how to defend herself, but to teach her with his brother could be dangerous.

Mori looked at his younger cousin and shook his head, "Tag team. Set up a schedule so that you don't have to worry about your clubs and both of you can train her at different times."

"That would be so much fun!" Hunny exclaimed.

"I can do that," Chika finally agreed.

"We will work on your kendo once a week when we are together anyway. Is that ok with you?" Mori asked turning to Haruhi once again.

She smiled up at him, "That sounds perfect." She stood on her tippy toes and as he bent down a bit, she kissed him. When Haruhi pulled back, she turned to the others, "Thank you."

Haruhi looked down at her watch and realized that she was still in her school uniform as was Mori and they needed to quickly before they were called for dinner. She grabbed Mori's hand and started pulling him towards the house. "Takashi we need to change."

As the couple was leaving, Satoshi realized that Haruhi still had his shinai and called out to her, "Haruhi you still have my shinai."

She laughed, "Yes I do and I am keeping it for now. You don't need it at dinner and I think Chika's head could use a break. You can have it back when I leave."

"That is not fair!" Satoshi yelled chuckling. He thought, _"I still have some more in my room."_

"Satoshi, leave it and don't get another one," Mori said before he and Haruhi slipped into the house.

Hunny couldn't help it, he started to laugh at the expression on his younger cousin's face, "He knows you too well Sato-Chan!"

Satoshi turned around and was laughing himself, "It looks that way. Well Yasuchika, it looks like you have a reprieve tonight."

Chika mumbled, "Thankfully."

Hunny left the younger teens alone and went inside for a slice of cake before dinner. He couldn't wait until tomorrow when the hosts showed up and found that Haruhi was really gone. Well she did tell them that she had plans.


	8. Weekend Plans Go Awry

**A/N: Typical Tamaki and the twins deciding that they were going to show up at Haruhi's house regardless of what she said. LOL. Thank you everyone for reading this story. It has been really fun to write and I love writing about the relationship within the family. There will be a lot more in future chapters. If you get the chance, please review and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 8 – Weekend Plans Go Awry

After dinner on Friday night, Haruhi and Mori were pulled into the study by Michiko and Akira Morinozuka. The couple wondered why Mori's parents were calling them in to talk to them, but they promptly followed and sat down on one of the sofas that occupied the large room waiting for one of them to explain the impromptu meeting. Both were feeling a bit nervous about what the reason could be.

Akira studied his son and Haruhi. She was good for him and he was glad that Mori had found her. He could also see the worry in both of their eyes, but neither tried to let it show. It took a lot of strength to not let your emotions rule you and he was impressed. There were times when emotions were needed and times when you had to take control of them. He decided it was time to put them out of their misery, "Relax you two. We only called you in here to talk to you both about the meeting I had with Takashi yesterday."

"What do you need father?" Mori asked.

"Haruhi we brought you in here because we figured that Takashi would have informed you about the discussion he and his father had," Michiko explained.

"Yes, he told me what was said," Haruhi said.

"Did you two talk about informing your friends about your relationship?" Akira inquired.

"We did. We will tell them on Monday since we will be busy tomorrow. However, we have recently learned that although Haruhi explained to both of the Hitachiin twins and Tamaki that she would be busy all weekend, the club is planning on bombarding her house tomorrow afternoon. It is scheduled for 1:00. Mitsukuni will be attending to keep an eye on the club," Mori explained.

"Also, Kyoya-senpai already knows of the relationship," Haruhi added.

"Why not have Mitsukuni and Kyoya change the club plans for tomorrow then?" Michiko asked.

"To teach them a lesson and Kyoya doesn't know that she will be here. He is probably going along with Tamaki to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble," Mori said simply.

"I told them I would be busy all weekend with my father and that they could not come over. I also informed them that I would probably not be home. They decided to ignore me once again and make plans to show up at my house," Haruhi explained further.

"I see. I can see why you are allowing the plans to continue as is then. What about Sunday though?" Akira asked.

"I will be home unfortunately. I need to study for a test, but I know that more than likely they will show up at my apartment to harass me. If they do, we will tell them then," Haruhi answered.

Michiko shared a look with her husband and a silent communication passed between the two. A very mischievous look appeared on both of their faces when they turned back to the young couple once again, "Haruhi, do you think that you would be able to spend the weekend here? You could ride to school with Takashi and Mitsukuni on Monday morning. I am more than happy to call your father and ask him if you would like," she asked the girl.

Haruhi looked at Takashi and then back to his parents, "I guess I could."

"It would allow you to study in peace and would further your point that you were busy the whole weekend," Akira explained.

Haruhi smiled, "Ok, I will ask my father tonight."

"Is he at home? I want to be sure to call him myself so that he doesn't worry or get the wrong idea since he is very protective of you. I know he has to work tomorrow night, so you can just bring your clothes when you come over tomorrow morning," Michiko said.

"No he is already working, but we can call the bar," Haruhi offered.

"Perfect! Let's call him now then," Michiko said and signaled Haruhi to follow her out of the room.

When both ladies were gone, Akira chuckled, "It is a good plan."

Mori allowed a smile to appear on his face, "Yes, I wanted them to know that when she said she was busy, she was busy."

"Good. Was she ok with everything when you talked to her?" Akira wondered.

"She didn't realize that the others had feelings for her. She feels bad, but will not let that get in the way of us."

"That is very good to hear. She is good for you Takashi. Your mother and I both approve of her."

"Thank you father, that means a lot to us."

"How serious are you about her?"

"We love each other and she is the one I plan on marrying one day."

"I thought so. Tamaki's father has decided that his son would benefit from a union with Haruhi. So this goes beyond Tamaki saying that he would marry her one day. Be careful. Suoh can be conniving, but I believe that once he understands that she is already spoken for, he will drop his suit. However, if it comes down to it, she has the full support of the Morinozuka and Haninozuka families in everything," Akira explained.

"Thank you father," Mori said understanding what all that encompassed. If Tamaki's father pushed the match and held Haruhi's schooling over her head, she would still be able to attend because the family would make sure she was taken care of. They would protect her and ensure she was completely taken care of in all aspects of her life if needed. This was not something that was lightly decided upon or freely given to just anyone. Haruhi was special.

"Well, shall we join the others again?" Akira said walking towards the door.

"Yes," Mori responded quietly. He was thinking about how people were vying for Haruhi's heart and no one other than himself had declared their feelings for her. Haruhi was not someone to be forced or pushed into something. He could see this ending very badly.

Mori and Akira were just exiting the study when Haruhi and Michiko appeared. When Haruhi saw Mori, she immediately walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist smiling, "Dad said it was fine if I stayed, and to make sure that he didn't have to deal with the club, he is going to be staying with a friend until Monday."

"Good. I guess we will be telling them on Monday instead of this weekend," Mori said returning her smile and embrace.

"Yep. Now my house won't be trashed. I know we had a plan for that, but now we can be sure; and it drives home the lesson even further," Haruhi laughed. She was really starting to like this plan of his.

Mori bent down and kissed the top of her head, "Yes it does."

"Come on you two; let's go see what trouble the others have gotten into. I need to make sure that Chika is still conscious," Mori's mother said.

"He better be. I took the shinai away from Satoshi and told him that he could not have it back until I left," Haruhi explained giggling.

Michiko looked at Haruhi with a bit of shock on her face. She turned her head to look at her husband and noticed that he was very close to breaking down in laughter. "He didn't go get another?"

"Mori told him that he better not," Haruhi was starting to laugh harder.

Akira sent a questioning look to his son who just shrugged. That was all it took before he was laughing too, "Well we still need to check to make sure that Mitsukuni and Chika didn't destroy the house or move the fight outside."

They found Satoshi and Chika watching a movie in the theatre room and Hunny was finishing off the cakes he brought with him. Michiko just shook her head. She knew they were sugar free, but the way he ate cake could be made into an Olympic sport.

It was soon time for Haruhi to go home. She had some things she had to take care of before she went to bed tonight. She wouldn't worry about her homework until later now that she knew there was no way the host club would be bothering her this weekend. _"Kyoya is going to be so mad,"_ Haruhi laughed to herself as she said good bye to everyone. She needed to make sure she shut off her phone for the weekend or it would ring incessantly breaking all semblance of a peaceful weekend.

Mori escorted Haruhi out to the car and climbed into the back after she did. Pulling her to his side, he again kissed the top of her head before she looked up and he kissed her lips. "I am glad you are staying the weekend at my house," Mori said when they broke apart.

"Hm. Me too. It will be a nice break and I get to spend quality time with you," Haruhi smiled up at him.

"Are you nervous about telling them?" Mori asked her. He wanted to tell her what he found out tonight, but he didn't want to have to spill that bit of information and then leave her alone. He would tell her tomorrow after her father left and they had a bit of alone time.

"Not nervous about telling them because I am unsure, but because I don't want to see anyone hurt."

"I know you don't and if I could spare our friends this pain, I would, but they need to know."

"Yes they do."

"If you are ever unsure, will you tell me?"

"Of course I will Takashi, but about the only I have been more sure about was going into law."

Mori smiled down at the amazing woman at his side, "I too have never been surer." Leaning down to kiss her one more time, the rest of the ride was spent in silence.

Once she was dropped off, Haruhi went into the apartment to prepare for the weekend. She packed her bag and made sure she had everything she would need to study and do her homework. She didn't worry about her uniform since she had been told to leave the one that she wore today there and they would make sure it was cleaned. Finally she was ready and sending a quick text to her boyfriend, she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Haruhi woke up with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She felt guilty that Hunny and Kyoya were being pulled into the foolishness of the others, but she was also looking forward to spending the whole weekend with Mori. Letting her father sleep as late as possible, she made breakfast and then woke him up. They needed to be at the Morinozuka estate by 11:00 and it was 9:00 now. Her father always took the longest time to get ready to go out. At least they didn't need to worry about how they were getting there since Mori's parents were sending a car.

Ranka woke up a little cranky and a lot groggy. He was able to leave his shift early at the bar, but that still did not get him home until after midnight. Luckily, last night he was able to switch tonight's shift with someone else so that he would work on Sunday instead. He ate breakfast and then went to start getting ready, making sure he packed his overnight bag as well.

Soon both of them were ready and the car had arrived to pick them up. They were on their way and they would not have to worry about the host club intruding on their weekend.

Tamaki had woken up that bright Saturday morning at 9:00. He was in a good mood since today was the day he would win over Ranka and be able to participate in family time with both of them. Unfortunately the rest of the club was also tagging along, but it could not be helped and he would make sure that today he was the star of the show. He would no longer be on Ranka's bad side and he would prove to him that Haruhi was in good hands when she was with him. Nothing could go wrong today. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and he had a plan.

The host club was set to meet at Haruhi's house at 1:00. He had plenty of time, so he sent on of the servants to get flowers, chocolates, and cake (for Hunny of course). Instructing the chef to prepare some ootoro, he went into the dining room to enjoy his breakfast.

Haruhi and her father pulled up to Mori's house and got out of the limo when the car door was opened. She was not expecting her boyfriend until later because he was supposed to be doing a kendo demo this morning with his brother, but there he was waiting on the porch for her. She tried to grab her bags from the driver, but he would not let them go and instead smiled at her and told her to go greet her boyfriend. Taking him up on his offer (she knew it was pointless to argue), she moved quickly to Mori and was soon in his arms receiving a kiss. It appeared he was also in a good mood.

Once Mori set her down, he greeted Ranka with a bow and was pulled into a hug by the older man. Smiling at his girlfriend's father, he thanked him for letting Haruhi stay for the weekend and for attending the demonstration.

Ranka laughed and said, "Anything to teach that idiot Tamaki a lesson!" He had never really liked Tamaki and he wasn't sure what could be done to change his opinion of him. He smiled at his daughter and her boyfriend. Although he wasn't quite ready to let her go completely, Mori was a good man and very respectful. Ranka couldn't help but like him.

Hunny popped his head out of the front door, "Haru-Chan, Ranka-Chan you made it!" He flew out of the door and hugged both of them.

"Hunny, I thought you weren't coming today because of the club," Haruhi said confused.

"I decided I would come for the demo and if there was time, lunch. I made sure I brought some cake with me though. Do you want some?" Hunny said excitedly.

Haruhi smiled at the shorter man. Hunny on sugar was not much different than Hunny off sugar as long as he had some sweets. "No, I will let you have your cakes," she said.

"Ok Haru-Chan. Takashi, your father said you need to go out to the dojo," Hunny said quickly remembering his task.

"I will see you later," Mori said to Haruhi before he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He bowed to Ranka and then disappeared into the house.

"Come on, let's go find our seats," Hunny said laughing and leading the way into the house. He was excited about everything that would happen later that day. Knowing that Haruhi was staying the weekend with Mori, made everything even funnier since he knew that they would try again tomorrow once today's plan was a failure. They never seemed to learn and always wanted to force themselves on the poor girl, but this weekend would be different. Today and tomorrow they would not get the opportunity and Hunny thought that was comical.

After the demo and mingling with guests, Hunny left at promptly 12:30 to make sure he made it to Haruhi's on time. He wanted to make sure he got there early in order to watch the reactions of everyone when they realized no one was home. If he was lucky, he would make it back for tea time later in the afternoon after the other guests had left so that he could tell everyone what happened.

Hunny was the first to arrive and waited in his car until another host showed up. It turned out that Kyoya, Tamaki, and the twins all rode together in the same car. When he saw them pull up, he exited his car and ran up to them greeting all of them with his normal bubbly personality and excitement.

"Where is Mori-senpai?" Kaoru asked Hunny.

"He had kendo and family obligations this weekend. His family was hosting a kendo demonstration this morning for some of their business associates," Hunny explained not divulging the fact that Haruhi and her father were also guests.

"Are you ok without him?" Hikaru asked.

Hunny rolled his eyes. He may look young, but he wasn't exactly helpless. Plastering on a big smile, he said, "I am fine Hika-Chan."

Tamaki was glad that there was one less host to contend with since it would allow more of the spot light to shine on him, and he would have a better chance of impressing Ranka. He looked at all of the hosts present and said, "I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. They are having family time, but since we are family to, it is only right that we are allowed to join in. As her father, it is only natural that I be able to commune peacefully with Ranka."

"Right!" Everyone except Kyoya yelled in agreement.

"There will be no mocking anything today. You are to be cordial and amenable," Tamaki continued.

"Right!" Everyone agreed again.

"Ok that is all men, let's go see my dear daughter," Tamaki gushed. He led the charge and ran up the stairs to her apartment and knocked on the door before everyone had joined him. When he received no answer, he knocked again and rang the doorbell. When he still received no answer, he started to pound on the door and yelling for Haruhi to answer, "Haruhi it is daddy! Answer the door!" Slowly panic started to build up in his chest, "Kyoya she isn't answering! What is she is hurt and injured in there? What if she is sick and can't answer the door? We need to help her! Hikaru, Kaoru see if you can spot anything through the window."

Hunny was trying very hard not to laugh, but Tamaki was making it increasingly difficult. Still he watched on with what he hoped was a concerned look on his face.

"Boss we can't see anything through the window," Hikaru said. He was letting Tamaki get to him and the worry was also building up in him.

"Maybe nobody is home. She did say that she was going to be busy with her father all weekend," Kaoru added.

"But they are poor. They can't afford to go anywhere. They stay home and look at each other for quality time. Kidnappers must have taken them and sold them into slavery. Mommy what are we going to do?" Tamaki wailed.

"Tamaki calm down. She did tell us that she would not be home because she would be out with her father. She may be a commoner, but she isn't so poor that they are beggars," Kyoya said frustrated with Tamaki for dragging him out this weekend. "She apparently isn't home right now."

"Tono, maybe we should try calling her cell phone," the twins suggested.

"Her cell phone? Since when does she have a cell phone?" Tamaki asked.

"Since we added her to our calling plan," Hikaru said bluntly pulling out his cell phone and dialing Haruhi's number. "Straight to voicemail."

Kyoya knew that he would not get any peace and quiet until all avenues were explored. He called Ranka's phone and got voice mail also, "Ranka's is also going to voicemail."

"What are we going to do? She could be lost and alone calling for me to come save her!" Tamaki was losing it.

"Tama-Chan, if she is spending time with her father, maybe she is not home and we should leave," Hunny suggested. He was still trying to hold in his amusement at the whole situation and was afraid he might break soon.

"She wouldn't do that without telling us!" Tamaki yelled.

Kyoya, Hikaru, and Kaoru face palmed. Hunny stepped back and looked as if he wanted to cry (it was an act). Finally Kyoya growled, "She did tell us you moron. She said several times that she would be busy with her father and would not be home. You insisted we come anyway."

"Don't be mad mommy. Fine, if they are gone for now, we will reconvene tonight at 6:00 right here. If you would like to come over to my house to wait it out, please come with me," Tamaki said softly shrinking back a little from the irritation that was flying off of Kyoya.

"I will have to meet you Tama-Chan since I am supposed to be at the dojo at 4:00," Hunny said simply.

"Ok Hunny-senpai. You do what you need to do and we will all meet back here at 6:00. Any questions men?"

"Nope," everyone except Kyoya said.

Tamaki and the twins flew down the stairs and into their car. Kyoya and Hunny were taking their time and Kyoya wondered if Hunny knew more than what he was letting on, "Hunny-senpai, do you know where Haruhi is?"

Hunny giggled and nodded. Since Kyoya knew about the relationship and wasn't really supporting this plan of Tamaki's, he felt it was safe to inform him about what was going on, "She is staying the weekend with Takashi. She and her father were included on the guest list for this morning's events at the Morinozuka estate. We decided not to tell all of you because they wanted to teach those three a lesson and I agreed with them."

"So when we come over tonight?" Kyoya asked.

"No one will be home. Ranka is staying with a friend. In fact Haruhi will be a guest at Takashi's house until Monday morning. Then after club on Monday, they will inform everyone about their relationship," Hunny giggled some more.

"So you are telling me that I have to put up with those three morons going back and forth all weekend and she won't be home at all. I knew something like that was going to happen and tried to tell them not to do this hair brained scheme."

"Sorry Kyo-Chan. I don't think if you told them that she was staying with a friend all weekend that they would listen, but you can try. Something tells me that if you did that though, they would bring you back here tomorrow night."

"I think you may be right Hunny-senpai, but that one trip is better than a weekend of back and forth," Kyoya leered at Tamaki who was engrossed in conversation with the twins.

"Let me know if the plans for tonight change," Hunny called as he made his way to his own car. It was time to get more cake.

Kyoya hit a couple of buttons and made the ringer on his phone go off. He pretended to answer the phone and carry on a fake conversation. Pretending to be talking to Ranka and getting fake answers was better than going back and forth all weekend. He "hung up" the phone and then got into the car, "Tamaki that was Ranka. He and Haruhi went on a weekend trip to have some bonding time. They are not even home and will not be all weekend! You dragged us over here for nothing. She told us she wasn't going to be home!"

Tamaki gulped. He thought he had a good plan and that it was full proof. What he didn't count on was the fact that they may leave town. It hadn't even crossed his mind that they would never be home when he visited. He looked down knowing his best friend was mad at him and quietly said, "Well I guess we will not meet tonight and instead we could maybe meet tomorrow night."

"I suggest that we wait and see her on Monday!" Kyoya snarled.

"But Mommy, we need to have family time! I know she wants to see us. If you can't come, then the rest of us will come over without you," Tamaki whined.

The twins readily agreed with Tamaki. They wanted to see Haruhi also and were disappointed that she had not been home. It was time she remembered who was important in her life.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up and said, "Fine, I guess I will come too. Someone has to keep an eye on you three idiots." He sent a quick text to Hunny about the change of plans and told him that he would inform him of the time as soon as he knew. He understood why she had run away for the weekend, but he hated to be saddled with the three dramatic teens for their weekend plans. Thinking of how much he could add to her debt for this inconvenience, he threw another glare towards Tamaki and the twins. He would get them back for this weekend.


	9. Spies Like Us

**A/N: I wanted to let everyone know that there is a new poll on my profile page. With Valentine's Day coming up, I decided to write an Ouran VDAY story. I might be writing one for Twilight and Fruits Basket also like I did at Christmas, but that is undecided. As with the last poll, cast your vote on who you want to see Haruhi paired up with. Since I have written several Mori stories and am currently working on another one for him, I am excluding him from the poll. You can vote on any of the other hosts, Chika, or Satoshi. (FYI… I kept Hunny in it because although I am working on a Hunny story, it is the only one I have written for him. I love Mori, but thought someone else should get a chance.) You have until Feb 9, 2pm CST to cast your vote. Plenty of time. If for some reason you really want Mori as part of the poll, PM me and depending on the response, I may add him. **

**Thanks for all of the reviews and support, please vote. Here is the next chapter. Tamaki and the twins are such trouble makers, but do you really expect anything less? LOL. Thank you Stylewriter565 for your help with some of the ideas for this chap! Enjoy and review if you get the chance. **

Chapter 9 – Spies Like Us

Hunny arrived back at the Morinozuka estate bearing additional sugar-free cakes and sweets that he could indulge in until Sunday arrived. Although he appreciated the treats he was being allowed, nothing could replace real sugar. When the car came to a stop, he instructed the driver to make sure all of the boxes were taken into the house. He figured he would be there for a while and he may was well enjoy his visit with treats.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had plans with that stupid club of yours," Chika leered at his brother.

"We are already done because no one was home and will not be for the rest of the night," Hunny replied with a smile and turned to send a wink at Haruhi.

"Yasuchika you need to be nice to your older brother!" Satoshi yelled.

"Oh really? Tell me why I have to be nice to him," Chika turned to shoot a glare at his best friend.

"Because he is family, your brother, and you should be nice to him. Besides we have guests and you should not be rude in front of them!" Satoshi retorted.

"Since Takashi and I started going out, you two haven't stopped once. I have decided you have one of the weirdest love/hate relationships minus Chika and Hunny," Haruhi said on the verge of laughing at the two younger teens.

"Whatever!" Chika muttered pushing his glasses once again up his nose.

Haruhi couldn't hold it in any longer and started to laugh at the pouty look Chika had on his face, "Sometimes I wonder how you two are even best friends."

"Who said that we were?" Chika asked with a very serious look on his face.

Haruhi turned serious and managed to choke out, "Well I assumed because you two are always around each other and hang out all of the time…"

Akira chucked, "Don't let those two fool you; they are about as close as Takashi and Mitsukuni."

"Speaking of… Mitsukuni, how was the host club meeting?" Michiko asked her nephew.

"Yes what did that bug do?" Ranka asked him.

Hunny's face took on a goofy look and he chuckled, "Well with Tama-Chan and the twins, it isn't a dull moment."

"What happened?" Mori asked curiously.

"I made sure that I got there first because I wanted to be sure I was there for the whole spectacle. After a 'pep talk' of how we should behave around Ranka-Chan, the three of them rushed up the stairs like a demon was on their tail," Hunny started his accounting of the day's events.

"Do I want to know what he said in his little talk?" Haruhi groaned.

"He said that as your father, he should be able to get along with Ranka-Chan and that even though you said it was family time, since we were family we should be allowed to join in yours and Ranka's time together. He also told us not to mock anything and to be nice," Hunny smiled at the girl and felt sorry for her when he heard her answering groan.

"Baka!" Haruhi exclaimed under her breath, but everyone heard her.

"He is not her father. I am her one and only daddy! I am going to kill him!" Ranka growled.

"I know Ranka-Chan. So Tama-Chan was actually the first one to the door and started to knock. When there was no answer, he knocked even louder and started pounding on the door and yelling for you. He was yelling mainly for you Haru-Chan," Hunny said giggling at the memory.

"Of course he was," Haruhi mocked.

Giggling once more, Hunny continued, "And well you know how he is, he started to say things like you could be injured and hurt and what are we going to do. He had the twins look in the window, but they couldn't see anything. One of the twins said that maybe you were out somewhere with your father, and Tama-Chan immediately said that you are a commoner and couldn't afford to go out. Kyo-Chan actually spoke up then and told him to calm down. That you may be a commoner, but you were not a beggar. Then the twins said that someone should try calling your phone and apparently Tama-Chan didn't know you had a cell phone and seemed kind of irritated with the twins for adding you to their plan without telling him. Actually he could have just been sad that he didn't know and didn't have your number. So one of the twins, I still don't know who is who, called and got voicemail. So Kyo-Chan tried Ranka-Chan's number and got voicemail. Tama-Chan started to freak out. You know how he does, and saying that you could be hurt, alone, and lost and calling for him to rescue you."

Everyone was rolling their eyes at the retelling of the afternoon events. Several people face palmed and could not believe that this was the person in charge of the host club. Haruhi found herself getting more and more infuriated with the president. She looked at Hunny and said, "What else?"

"I told Tama-Chan that since you were spending time with your father that maybe you weren't home. He said you wouldn't do that without telling him. We all groaned and Kyo-Chan said that you did tell us that several times. Then Tama-Chan back pedaled really fast because Kyo-Chan was irritated and told him not to be mad. He wanted to reconvene at 6:00 tonight. So then Tama-Chan and the twins ran down the stairs to get to the limo. The plan was to wait at Tamaki's house until it was time to come back. In order for me to leave them and come here instead, I told them I had to go to the dojo for some things. Kyo-Chan and I took our time walking down the stairs and he asked me what was going on. I told him and he was very irritated with the other three and said something about forcing him to go back and forth all weekend and no one was going to be home. I left after that and told him to tell me if plans changed. I got a text about five minutes later that we will not be meeting until 6pm tomorrow night," Hunny finished laughing.

"They are idiots!" Haruhi said trying to sound irritated. The affect was ruined when she started to smile and laugh with her friend.

There was not a person in the room that was not laughing at the recounting of the host club's afternoon visit to Haruhi, and although Ranka wanted to teach a lesson to the idiot, he couldn't help but laugh. The people that knew Tamaki personally were not surprised by his antics. Hunny and Mori's parents were shocked that this was the chairman of the school's son. They figured that Hunny was exaggerating a little bit. He had to be.

Chika was the first to stop laughing, "Yah that sounds like that moron."

"Yasuchika!" Arisu Haninozuka scolded her youngest.

"Auntie, he is right," Satoshi stepped in to defend his cousin.

Yorihisa Haninozuka said, "You have exaggerated, haven't you Mitsukuni?"

"No father, it really happened like that," Hunny defended his tale.

Haruhi stepped in, "Actually everything that Hunny said, I can very much believe and can't believe that more didn't happen."

"I have heard that he calls you his daughter, but I thought my information had to be mistaken," Akira said pondering everything he just heard.

"It wasn't. That moron keeps trying to take my place and if he doesn't watch out…" Ranka leered

"You are not mistaken. He is the father, Kyoya-senpai is the mother, the twins are my brothers, Takashi and Hunny are the neighbors," Haruhi laughed.

"Kyoya Ootori is the mother?" Akira asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, sir and he doesn't like the title," Haruhi said.

"I can't imagine why not," Michiko said shaking her head laughing some more.

"I wish I could be there tomorrow to see their faces when I am still not home," Haruhi said with narrowed eyes and a smirk upon her face. She could only imagine what will happen tomorrow evening.

"Why couldn't you Haru-Chan?" Hunny said with a sneaky glint in his eye.

"Because the point of me staying here is so that I am not present during the host club bombardment of my place," Haruhi said bluntly.

"He's right. We could go," Mori said from her right side.

"What are you two talking about?" Haruhi asked.

"Haru-Chan you can ride in my limo with me. The windows in the back are darkened out. You can see out, but they can't see in. You and Takashi can stay in the car when I get out and you can watch everything that happens from the car," Hunny explained.

Haruhi thought about it for a moment and realized that the plan would work. The windows are so dark that no one would know that they were in the car watching everything unfold before them. It is also late enough in the day that she would be able to finish her studying before they needed to leave for the apartment. A small smirk appeared on her face and she looked at Hunny, "I'm in."

"Me too," Mori said. He wanted to see what was going to happen and was not going to let Haruhi go alone just in case something else happened. With the host club, you had to plan for everything.

"I think we will be joining you tomorrow also," Akira said looking at his oldest son and his girlfriend thoughtfully. They said that Hunny wasn't exaggerating and if that was the case, he wanted to be able to witness this behavior himself.

"Yes, we will," Michiko agreed. She too wanted to be able to see what her nephew was talking about this afternoon.

"Can I go too?" Satoshi asked.

"No, you will stay here," Akira said to his youngest son.

"But…" Satoshi started to protest.

"No buts. Your father told you no. The more people in the car, the harder it will be to hide our presence. You will stay," Michiko ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Satoshi muttered. He had really wanted to go, but now that had been squashed.

Ranka departed soon after that part of the conversation was completed and had progressed onto other topics. He extended his gratitude for the invitation and gave his daughter a kiss as he said he good byes and left. The topic did return briefly to the host club so that everyone could discuss their plans for the next day. After everything was settled, the group disbanded.

Mori pulled Haruhi out to the garden in back. Now was the time to talk to her about the latest information that he had received from his father. He was not looking forward to telling her everything, but she had to know so that she could be aware and prepared. When they reached the middle of the garden, Mori sat down on a bench and waited for Haruhi to sit down next to him, "Are you sure you want to go tomorrow?"

Haruhi smiled at the images playing through her imagination of what she could possibly witness tomorrow, "Yah, I really do."

Mori smiled and put his arm around her pulling her close, "Ok. I think I might get out of the car and be part of the hosts."

Haruhi looked up at her boyfriend with her eyebrow raised, "Really? You don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but Mitsukuni would not have to make another excuse for me and it might be enjoyable to have a front row seat."

"Ok, you join the antics and I will sit back and watch the show," Haruhi said chuckling.

Nodding, Mori leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He pulled back smiling and said, "I hope you enjoy it."

"Oh, I don't see how I wouldn't."

Mori looked down at his girlfriend and suddenly got serious, "We need to talk about something."

This did not sound good. Haruhi quickly looked up at her boyfriend and felt knots growing in her stomach, "What's wrong?"

"My father and I talked again. He received some more information," Mori said looking her in the eye.

Frowning, Haruhi said, "What?"

"Chairman Suoh has decided that you are the ideal wife for Tamaki."

"WHAT?"

"He thinks that Tamaki would benefit from marrying you. You need to be prepared because if he approaches you, he may try to convince you that will be best for you also. My dad believes that if the chairman knows that you are already in a relationship and he will give up, but if something happens and he doesn't, the Haninozuka and Morinozuka families will support you fully. You will finish Ouran and you will not have to worry about anything."

Haruhi sat there and stared at her boyfriend. _"Surely Tamaki-Senpai's father wouldn't go that far, would he?" _Haruhi thought to herself incredulously. Clearing her throat, she said, "I don't want charity and I don't want someone to pay for something I didn't earn."

"You earned it by passing that entrance and scholarship exam. Whether Suoh pays for it or my family pays for it doesn't matter. You deserve the scholarship and you will keep it. You will graduate from Ouran and you will achieve all of your dreams."

She had never seen him look so serious or passionate about anything before, not even Hunny. She knew that she could not deny him or decline this offer. Lifting her right hand to his cheek, she said, "Ok. If the chairman does anything, I will let your family sponsor my scholarship."

Mori kissed the hand resting on his cheek and staring at her intently, whispered, "I will make sure you are protected and taken care of no matter what. I love you."

Haruhi blushed and smiled at his declaration, "I love you too." She pulled his head down so that she could give him a proper kiss and found herself relaxing in his embrace as the kiss deepened. They were in their own world until it was time to go in for dinner.

The next day, Mori and Haruhi studied together until Hunny arrived and excitedly announced that the ban was lifted and he could once again have sugar. He wanted to share a slice of cake with his favorite people (or in Hunny's case a slice for them and a whole cake for him). Mori's face cracked into a small smile and Haruhi laughed. Neither had the heart to deny him and so they all ate cake.

After cake, it was more study time until Haruhi decided that she was done and it was time to put the books away. She had gotten more done in a shorter amount of time than usual thanks to zero interruptions. Grinning she turned to Mori and Hunny, "Are you guys done with your homework?"

"Yah," Mori said looking up from a book he was reading.

"Me too Haru-Chan!" Hunny said excitedly from his seat across from her.

Haruhi looked at her watch; they still had another couple of hours to kill before they would leave to meet the rest of the club members, "What do you want to do until we have to leave?"

"Cake?" Hunny inquired expectantly. He was ready to gorge himself on genuine sugar now that he could.

Haruhi laughed, "You can have cake, but I have had enough for the day."

"What about you Takashi?" Hunny turned his anticipative gaze to his cousin.

Mori shook his head no and then added, "You can eat cake. We will sit with you."

"Ok Takashi, Haru-Chan! Let's got get some cake!" Hunny said racing out of the library and towards the dining room.

Haruhi and Mori were taking their time following their animated cake eating friend. They knew exactly where he would be and what they would find. There was no stopping Hunny now that the sugar ban had expired.

The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out while the smallest, yet deadliest, of them indulged in cake until it was time to go. When the time came, they met up with Mori's parents in the living room and then piled into the limo. It was show time and if the three hosts in the car knew anything, they knew that it would definitely be something worth watching.

Mori had decided to attend the host club meeting with Hunny and had informed his parents of his choice the night before at dinner. His parents had agreed that it was probably for the best; so when they pulled up to Haruhi's apartment building, he stepped out of the car. He looked around and realized that they had beaten the other hosts there and was relieved that the chance of one of the others seeing someone they shouldn't was next to nil. He looked down at Hunny and then at his watch. The others should be arriving any moment.

Haruhi and Mori's parents were waiting patiently for the others to arrive. Haruhi was nervous about being discovered and really hoped that Hunny's plan worked. Mori's parents were wondering what they were about to see and didn't want to believe that it was as bad as the story had been. They would all find out soon enough though because another limo was pulling up to the apartment, and as soon as the limo stopped a blonde and two red heads stepped out of the car. Haruhi held her breath when everyone turned in the direction of the Haninozuka limo, but seemed to only notice Mori and Hunny. Haruhi released her breath. The elders in the car raised their brows in astonishment because as soon as Tamaki opened his mouth, he spewed words that left them agape. Maybe Hunny wasn't exaggerating after all.

"Mori-senpai, so glad you could make it today. I am sure my beautiful daughter will appreciate the kind gesture," Tamaki started. When everyone was gathered around him, he continued, "Ok everyone, by now Haruhi and her father should be home. I am not sure why she didn't take me with her, but I forgive my daughter. We need to be sure to be polite so that Ranka doesn't kick us out of the house. Be on your best behavior and do NOT embarrass my Haruhi!"

"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted.

"Hikaru, Kaoru do you have the dinner we picked up? My daughter has probably missed her daddy terribly and is tired from having to spend her weekend away from me. Mommy do you think the time they spent together was at a work camp to earn extra money? Oh no, my poor daughter! I know you have worked yourself to the bone this weekend. Don't worry, I will save you and you will not have to cook tonight! Daddy brought you enough food so that you will not starve!" Tamaki said working himself up.

"We have it right here boss," Hikaru said rolling his eyes at Tamaki.

"Yah, Tono. Don't worry," Kaoru said trying to contain his mirth.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose creating his trademark glare, "Tamaki, I have told you before that they are commoners and not beggars."

Inwardly Hunny and Mori were face palming. Mori covertly looked at the limo he had arrived in out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't see Haruhi or his parents, but he could imagine their reaction to all of this and it was just getting started. Haruhi was probably fuming and his parents were probably a little flabbergasted since they had believed Hunny had embellished the day before.

If Mori had been able to actually see inside the limo, he would have known that his theory was very accurate. Haruhi was frowning and muttering that she was not Tamaki's daughter quietly. His parents' mouths were hanging open and they were stunned by the opening remarks of the host club president. Finding it impossible to turn away, the only the thing they could do was gawk at the scene in front of them.

"Let's go welcome my little princess home!" Tamaki said before he ran towards the stairs and proceeded to make his way to Haruhi's apartment. He was nervous and excited at the same time. He was sure Haruhi wanted to see him and the only reason he wasn't invited for family time is because she didn't want to make the other hosts jealous. That had to be it. He even envisioned it in his inner mind theatre.

_Inside the Mind of Tamaki…_

_"Oh Senpai I so wanted you to come with me, but I couldn't invite everyone and I was afraid they would hate me and kick me out of the club. I missed you so much. It was unbearable to be apart from you for so long," Haruhi said with tears in her eyes._

_"I understand. Do not worry. I will make sure that they never do anything to you and you will never be kicked out of the club. I will guard you and protect you no matter what because I am your knight in shining armor!" Tamaki said grabbing her hand and kneeling in front of her._

_"Do you really mean that Tamaki?"_

_"I do with every cell in my body."_

_"Thank you Tamaki!" Haruhi said as she threw herself into his arms and tears seeped out of her eyes._

_"Anything for you my dear Haruhi!" Tamaki declared fervently._

_End of this episode of Inside the Mind of Tamaki._

Tamaki made it to the door and took a deep breath. Raising his hand to the door, he knocked and waited for someone to answer. No one answered. He started to knock a little harder. Still the door did not open. He pounded on the door. Nothing. He pounded and yelled, "Haruhi it is daddy! Open the door! Haruhi are you in there? Are you ok?" There was still no answer. Turning to look at the other hosts, he noticed that Mori was standing next to the window for the apartment, "Mori-senpai do you see anything through the window.

Mori knew what the answer was before he looked, but he indulged Tamaki and turned. Pressing his face to the window, he looked in. When he felt that sufficient time had passed, he turned and shook his head with a negative answer.

"WHAT?" Tamaki wailed. He turned towards Kyoya, "Mommy, she isn't home yet. Where is she? Do you think that she has been kidnapped? What if the work camp didn't let her go? What if she witnessed something and she was forced to move? Do you think maybe the Yakuza got her?" The more he talked the more his anxiety increased and before he knew it, he grabbed Kyoya's shirt and started to shake him, "Where is my precious daughter?"

"Tamaki, I suggest you release me at once. Hikaru call Haruhi's cell phone and see if she answers. I will call Ranka," Kyoya snarled pushing Tamaki away from him.

"She isn't answering her phone Kyoya-senpai," Hikaru said. He was wondering once again if Tamaki could be right. Shaking his head and telling himself that Tamaki has yet to be right about anything that concerns the only female host, he forced himself to calm down.

"Ranka is not answering either," Kyoya said placing his phone back in his pocket.

"Why do I need to answer if I am right here?" Ranka asked from behind the group of good looking men in front of his apartment door.

Mori and Hunny had seen Ranka walking towards the apartment, so they were not surprised when he spoke, but everyone else seemed startled. Tamaki and the twins jumped and screamed. Kyoya's head snapped up quickly to show his alarm, and when he saw Ranka walk forward, he smirked.

"Well, is someone going to answer me?" Ranka asked looking around the group. Even though he knew it was going to happen, he was irked that Tamaki had dragged the entire club to the apartment when Haruhi had specifically told them that she would be busy all weekend.

Kyoya bowed respectfully, plastered on a polite smile, and then spoke, "Sorry Ranka, but I was trying to call to find out where you and Haruhi were. We came to visit the both of you."

"Haruhi isn't home yet. She is out visiting a friend and I am not sure when she will be back. You will have to see her tomorrow," Ranka smiled.

"But we brought you and my daughter some dinner!" Tamaki whined. The next moment he found himself on the ground about five feet away from where he had previously been standing.

"Oh I am so sorry. I thought I saw a bug. I think I took care of it for you though Kyoya," Ranka said turning to the vice president after he backhanded Tamaki.

Kyoya's smile never faltered, if anything, it grew, "Thank you Ranka for your kind deed. We did bring you and Haruhi dinner. Perhaps you can enjoy it without her."

Slowly getting up, Tamaki said, "Kyoya, what about Haruhi? We can't leave without seeing her. I know she wants to see me. She told me in my mind."

Rolling his eyes and pushing his glasses up once again, "Tamaki what you dream up in that mind of yours does not equal real life."

"Oh do forgive me. Thank you so much for dinner. All of you are more than welcome to come in and enjoy it with me, but I am afraid that you will not see Haruhi tonight," Ranka said politely turning his glare on Tamaki. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under.

"Why can't we wait?" Tamaki asked.

Narrowing his eyes and taking a very menacing step forward, Ranka said, "What did you just say? I'm sorry, but I don't believe I heard you right."

Tamaki gulped, "S-Sorry Ranka. I meant would you mind if we waited for her to return? It isn't safe for her to be out so late."

"Haruhi knows how to take care of herself and I am not sure when she will be home. I have to go back to work soon. So no, you cannot stay here. Go home. You can see her tomorrow," Ranka sneered at the person he considered the world's biggest baka. His expression changed when he turned his attention to the remaining members of the club, "I am so sorry everyone, but she will not be home until later and she may actually be staying at her friend's house tonight. You can see her at school tomorrow. Don't worry. She is perfectly safe and fine. I talked to her not 30 minutes ago. Thank you so much for dinner!"

"It was our pleasure Ranka," Kyoya said smiling and bowing politely one more time. "Let's go Tamaki!" He grabbed Tamaki by his collar and dragged him towards the stairs. Hearing everyone else say their good byes, he knew they would quickly follow him down to the limos.

When they were once again at the cars, Hikaru said, "What are we going to do boss?"

Kyoya did not allow Tamaki to answer, "We do nothing. You heard Ranka. She is probably having fun and doesn't want to be bothered. She warned all of you that she had plans this weekend and yet you three wanted to interrupt those plans and drag the rest of us into it. All of us are going to go home and none of you will return tonight. Leave her alone and you will see her tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes," Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru stuttered. They wondered if they could secretly return in order to watch the apartment for Haruhi's arrival.

"I am posting some officers to watch this area. If any of you return I will hear about it and there will be hell to pay. The consequences I assure you are extremely steep," Kyoya threatened. He watched the three trouble makers pale and knew that he had hit guessed their thoughts correctly.

"But Kyoya, what if my daughter is walking around in the dark and is attacked?" Tamaki cried.

"She knows this area better than us and I am sure that she would not do anything that would put herself in danger. She is not here and she will probably be staying the night at a friend's house," Kyoya glared.

"But we are supposed to be her friends!" Hikaru defended.

"So you are saying that the girlfriends she made in middle school can't be her friends any longer?" Kyoya turned his glare onto Hikaru and watched as the older twin shrank away from him.

"N-no I guess not," Hikaru muttered.

"Good. Now all of you get in the car. We are going home. Good night Mori-senpai, Hunny-senpai," Kyoya said. Only when the other three were in the car, did he exhale and shake his head. He turned his exasperated gaze upon Mori and Hunny before joining the other three in the car.

Hunny and Mori entered their own car quickly and shut the door. Akira and Michiko both looked dazed. Haruhi looked pissed off. Holding out his hand, Mori silently asked the girl to sit next to him. Haruhi put her hand in his and changed seats.

Hunny was smiling at the expressions on his aunt and uncle's faces, "Now do you see?"

Both of them slowly nodded to the affirmative. They had no words for what they just witnessed and could understand why Haruhi and Mori had kept their relationship secret thus far. They could not believe that Tamaki was as bad as that, and from the last part of the conversation, they could tell that Hikaru was a jealous sort. Looking at the couple, they knew that this was not going to be an easy task for them.

"I cannot believe that even after my dad told him no, he questioned it! Then they wanted to argue and Hikaru tried to say that I couldn't have any other friends. The audacity of those two!" Haruhi was fuming. The three occupants of the car could hear everything that had been said because the sunroof had been left open for that purpose.

Mori gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "You know how he is."

"I know, but that doesn't mean that it still doesn't annoy me!" Haruhi raised her voice.

Mori exhaled, "I know. It vexes me too. Tomorrow."

Haruhi closed her eyes and counted silently to herself. When she felt calmer, she said, "You're right. We will set them straight tomorrow. Let's just go back to the house before those three figure out a way to sneak back over here." The limo slowly pulled away from its parking spot and made its way back to the house.


	10. Spilling of the Guts

**A/N: EVERYONE… Another Chance has been nominated for the Ouran High School Host Club fanfiction awards of 2012. Please vote for it at fanfiction s/8979492/1/Ouran-High-School-Host-Club-Best-Fanfiction-of-2012 or by sending a PM to rephiamluvers123. THANK YOU EVERYONE! **

**Don't forget about the poll on my profile. It will be up until the 9****th****. So far Kyoya is in the lead with 7 votes. Still early though and anything can happen in the next 5 days. If you want a say in whom the couple will be in the Valentine's Day story, then make sure you place your votes. If for some reason, you are unable to vote, you can pm me or put it in the review. As for this story, now Mori's parents know how bad Tamaki can be since they got to witness it firsthand. Poor guys, I think it was a shock to their system. LOL. Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 10 – Spilling of the Guts

By the time the car had returned to the house, Akira and Michiko had recovered from the astonishing display they had been privy to. They had really believed and hoped that their nephew had been wrong, but he was so accurate in his description, they had to wonder how Haruhi and Mori put up with it on a daily basis. Akira wondered how his son had not taken matters into his own hands up until this point. Michiko wondered how Haruhi put up with such blatant displays every day. Both of them wondered how the teens did not spill everything about their relationship before now.

Haruhi had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she did not realize they had arrived at the house until Mori was shaking her to gain her attention. She looked around and blushed realizing they had reached their destination and it was time to get out of the car, "Sorry Takashi, I guess I was lost to my thoughts."

Mori looked at his girlfriend with a questioning look. He could imagine what had caused her to space out and it worried him that she might be having second thoughts. Getting out of the car, he reached his hand in to help her out and when she had exited, he leaned down and holding back his own feelings whispered in her ear to try to reassure her, "Don't worry, we are in this together." He straightened up and looking down into her face, saw a brilliant smile. The anxiety and worry that he had been feeling moments ago, dissipated.

"Hey are you two coming in or not? I want to hear what happened and our parents will not tell me anything!" Satoshi yelled from the front door breaking the moment between his brother and girlfriend. If it wasn't for the sneaky smile that appeared on his face when he had walked back into the house, you might have thought that the disruption was completely by accident.

Laughing, Mori and Haruhi walked into the house in order to tell everyone what happened with the host club. It was a gathering that definitely left an impression on anyone who was there to witness it. Once they were in the house, they noticed that Hunny was eating cake and Satoshi was pestering him for information, but receiving nothing. Mori's parents were not in the living room, they probably escaped to another part of the house. Chika was sitting as far away from his brother as possible and turned his glare from Hunny to Satoshi. Looking at each other, Mori and Haruhi smiled and walked further into the room, choosing to sit down on the love seat to wait for the questions they knew Satoshi wanted to ask. They knew he would not be appeased until he had answers.

Satoshi looked up and noticed Mori and Haruhi sitting down. _"It is about time," _he said to himself and turned his attention from his cousin to his brother. "Taka-bro what happened today? Mom and dad won't say anything and Mitsukuni is also keeping quiet. So what happened? The way everyone is keeping their mouths shut makes me think something happened," Satoshi pleaded with his older sibling.

Haruhi stared at the younger man sitting across from her and laughed, "Satoshi nothing really happened. You know how they are."

"I know how they can be, yes, but why is no one telling me what happened. Inquiring minds want to know!" Satoshi said to her.

"Satoshi! Curiosity killed the cat," Chika glared at his friend.

"Yes, but satisfaction brought him back," Satoshi replied at stuck his tongue out at his cousin causing everyone in the room to laugh including a reluctant Chika.

After that display, Mori and Haruhi decided that withholding the information any longer might be Satoshi's downfall and proceeded to tell the two younger teens everything that happened at Haruhi's apartment. By the time they were done explaining everything, Satoshi and Chika were laughing again and Hunny had stopped eating his cake in order to laugh some more. "Mother and father were shocked at the way Tamaki acted. They really thought that Mitsukuni had been exaggerating," Mori said.

"My brother is many things, but he doesn't lie and he doesn't exaggerate. Well, at least not when it comes to other people," Chika spoke up.

Haruhi was chuckling and said, "I know. He exaggerates his need for sweets and cake, but he was right when he told us about Tamaki and the twins yesterday."

"Yes," Mori agreed with the group.

"Aunt and uncle just didn't know and unless you experience it for yourself, there is no way you will understand what happens in the host club. I can see why they thought that," Hunny said smiling and once again picked up his cake in order to finish the sweet goodness.

"I wholeheartedly agree with that Hunny!" Haruhi giggled.

The rest of the night was spent joking about the host club, or more accurately Tamaki and the twins. Hunny and Chika left soon after dinner and before long everyone was turning in for the night. Monday was going to be a big day for Mori and Haruhi, and neither was looking forward to the reaction of the rest of the host club. One thing was for sure, they were not going to let the club dictate their relationship. They were in this together and that is how it was going to stay.

The next morning, Haruhi rode with Mori and Hunny to school. She got out where she normally did in order to walk the rest of the way to school. No one was any wiser to their relationship, at least not yet. It would change this afternoon and although Haruhi was dreading it, she was also ready to get it over with.

When Haruhi got to her class, the twins were already there waiting for her. They had come in early to ambush her in order to find out what happened to her this weekend. She stayed silent though and only said, "I told you I had plans and yet you two, along with the rest of the club, showed up at my house and bothered my father and my neighbors. From what I hear, you not only showed up on Sunday, but you also showed up on Saturday. What part of spending time with my father and I will be busy did you not understand?"

"But Haruhi, we just wanted to see you!" Hikaru yelled.

"We're sorry. You are right, you told us that you were going to be busy," Kaoru said chastised.

Nothing else was said because other students started to file into the room and it prevented further discussions between the three friends. Although Haruhi had gotten a good laugh about what had happened this weekend, she was still irritated that her supposed friends would not listen to her and would show up at her apartment when she was busy. They had to learn when she said she was busy, she was busy.

At lunch, Tamaki swooped into the classroom in order to see Haruhi. "Haruhi my darling daughter, did you miss your daddy?" Tamaki said giving her his best host smile.

"No, I was busy this weekend," Haruhi said bluntly.

"B-but did you miss me at all? Where were you?"

"No, I was too busy to think about the club. I told you I had plans this weekend and I would not be home. Family time with my father is just that, family time with me and him and no one else. I know that you and the rest of the club showed up at my house this weekend multiple times. I told you I was busy and yet, you showed up anyway," Haruhi glared.

Each word that Haruhi spoke was like an arrow to Tamaki and soon he was in his corner growing mushrooms and pouting. As he muttered something about his daughter not loving him, Haruhi got up and walked out of the room taking her bento box with her in order to find a quiet place to eat. She soon found her way to a bench outside in one of the gardens, and sat down to finish her lunch.

"Are you alright Haru-Chan?" A voice asked from her side.

Haruhi looked up quickly and saw Hunny and Mori staring down at her, both had a worried look on their faces. She smiled up at the duo and said, "Yah, I am fine. The twins were just bothering me this morning and Tamaki came into the classroom at lunch to bother me, so I came out here. They all wanted to know why I wasn't home and where I was this weekend. I told them all that I had warned them I was going to be busy and that family time is time without them. Something tells me they didn't really listen to what I said though. I left Tamaki pouting and growing mushrooms in my classroom. I can just imagine with the sensei will say when she sees the mess he is making," she smirked.

Mori bent down and brushed her bangs away from her eyes, "Are you sure?"

She gave him a smile, "Very sure. I am alright Takashi."

"Haru-Chan after club today, we will give you a ride home. Alright?" Hunny said to Haruhi.

"Alright Hunny, you two can give me a ride home. Something tells me that it is going to be an exhausting meeting today," Haruhi winked at both of them.

"Are you ready?" Mori asked his girlfriend.

"More than ready!" Haruhi said smiling. She was very ready to stop sneaking around with her boyfriend. She was ready to stop lying to her friends, and she was more than ready for the other hosts to know what is really going on and therefore stop all talks of marriage behind her back.

"Good, me too," Mori said returning her smile.

The bells chimed signaling the end to lunch, and the three hosts made their way back into the building and to their respective classrooms. Host club was just a couple of hours away.

The rest of the day passed and when the last class was over, each twin grabbed one of Haruhi's arms and dragged her to the club room. She didn't understand what their hurry was since they were not cosplaying today, but she couldn't exactly get away from them at this point. So instead of fighting them, she just let them escort her to the music room. When they arrived, Tamaki was already pacing the floor wondering where his daughter was.

Tamaki was worried about Haruhi like usual. She wasn't late yet, but she had disappeared at lunch and he didn't know where she went. He searched high and low for her, but could not find her and since he still didn't have her phone number, he could not call her. Upon hearing the door close, Tamaki lifted his gaze from the floor and it settled on Haruhi sandwiched between the twins. He ran to her and pulled her away from Hikaru and Kaoru, "You're safe my precious Haruhi. Don't worry daddy will make sure those twins do not corrupt you."

"Listen here boss," Kaoru started.

"We were only escorting her," Hikaru added.

"You are the one cutting off her air supply. Now give her back," they finished together and made a move to grab her from Tamaki.

For once Tamaki was anticipating their moves and moved Haruhi out of the way before they could grab her from him. Twirling her around the room he said, "Haruhi daddy just missed you so much this weekend. You and I need to spend some time alone together to make up for this weekend. I know you wanted me there with you, but you couldn't ask me without asking the rest of the club."

"Put me down!" Haruhi yelled. He wasn't completely cutting off her air, but she wanted down. She was getting dizzy from the twirling and she did not like Tamaki's crushing hugs.

Unfortunately, Tamaki ignored her words like he usually did and continued on with what he was doing, "Don't worry Haruhi, I will protect you from the rest of the club and no one will kick you out because you want to spend time with your daddy. I am here for you."

"I don't know what you are talking about. Will you let me go?" Haruhi said squirming some more. Suddenly she was lifted high and looked down into the soft gaze of her boyfriend. Mori had rescued her yet again.

"Mori-senpai, you didn't have to do that. I was just embracing my beautiful daughter," Tamaki said inching forward in order to grab Haruhi again.

"Tamaki enough with your antics, Haruhi needs to start making tea and we need to get ready for club time," Kyoya said as he typed on his computer. Tamaki had made him waste so much time this weekend; he was still trying to catch up on some of his work. Plus he had to order so much cake now that Hunny could have sweets again, he was getting depressed. All of that cake was just so expensive.

"O-Ok, Kyoya," Tamaki said as he gulped.

"The rest of you need to get ready as well," Kyoya said looking up and scanned the room. Soon everyone was doing what they needed to in order to make sure all of their guests would have a wonderful time in the host club.

Soon the club was swarmed by the young ladies cooing over their favorite hosts. Hunny's clientele grew for the day since he was allowed to eat his cake again. Everyone wanted to come wish him well and bring him sweets that they had made for him. He was in heaven.

About fifteen minutes before host club ended, a familiar face walked in. She made her way to Mori, and Haruhi recognized her as the girl that had told Mori she loved him in the hallway. It was a meeting that had originally caused the feelings of jealously to stir within Haruhi. It was a meeting she would rather forget.

"Oh hello beautiful princess, are you new to the club? Are you a fan of Mori-Senpai's?" Tamaki asked the new comer.

"Mori, I understand now and I am a little surprised you are so concerned about Hunny, that you feel that strongly for him. I wish it could have been me, but because it can't, I have to say that your feelings for Hunny are so… MOE!" The new girl said with enthusiasm.

As Renge welcomed her to the wonderful world of Moe, Mori looked over to Haruhi. They knew the truth. Although his sense of duty and friendship bound him to Hunny, the person he felt so strongly about was Haruhi. He tried to reassure her with his eyes since he knew that she had been a witness to the original confession. He also knew that it had bothered his girlfriend when she heard words of love spill from another person's lips. He only loved one girl, and that was Haruhi Fujioka.

The hosts were hard pressed to get all of their guests out of the room when hosting was done for the day. Thanks to the new girl, the flames of MOE had been stoked for Hunny and Mori love. The girls finally left with the promise they would return the next day and finally the hosts were able to close the doors for the day. As soon as they were free, all of the hosts slumped down in a seat. Even Kyoya was feeling exhausted after the day's event; although he did find himself smiling because he knew that all of this MOE talk would increase profits for the club.

Tamaki looked up from his place on one of the couches and said, "Haruhi I will take you home so that we can spend some time together."

"No way boss! She will be coming home with us!" Hikaru said.

"That's right Tono!" Kaoru added.

"You devil twins will not lay a hand on her!" Tamaki yelled standing up.

"Oh and you can?" The twins asked.

"Well, of course daddy and daughters can hold hands and such," Tamaki said cautiously.

"I am not going home with any of you!" Haruhi said from her place next to Mori.

"But Haruhi, we need to spend time together since we didn't see each other this weekend," Tamaki wailed.

"I don't think so," uttered Haruhi.

Tamaki screeched and then ran to his corner. He was once again pouting about how mean his daughter was to him.

Haruhi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was time and Tamaki was not making it easy for them. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the face of the one person she did love. Smiling she nodded and said, "I have something to say, or that is to say Mori-senpai and I have something to say."

Tamaki looked up from his corner. _"What could they possibly have to say together?"_ Tamaki thought to himself. He noticed then that they were sitting next to each other. They were too close together and he decided that Mori was taking advantage of his daughter. He was about to say something when Mori spoke up.

"We are together," Mori said in a clear voice.

"Together for what?" Tamaki asked.

"Together? Is this a joke?" The twins inquired.

"No, it isn't. Takashi and I are dating," Haruhi said matter of factly.


	11. Family Drama

**A/N: Today is the last day for the poll. I am extending to the end of today, midnight CST, but unless something drastic happens, Kyoya has won with Hunny coming in a distant 2****nd****. The story will be at least a 2 shot, maybe a 3, but the plan is to start posting tomorrow and have everything posted and finished by the 14****th****, if not the 13****th****. THANK YOU FOR VOTING! **

**Thank you for the reviews on this story! It has been a lot of fun to write and I am not done yet. Enjoy the next chapter and if you get a chance, please review and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 11 – Family Drama

"We are together," Mori said in a clear voice.

"Together for what?" Tamaki asked.

"Together? Is this a joke?" The twins inquired.

"No, it isn't. Takashi and I are dating," Haruhi said matter of factly.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes on the couple and then turned to his brother. He looked dumbfounded. Turning his gaze back on Mori and Haruhi, he narrowed in on Mori. He couldn't understand why she would choose a tall, silent, never showed his feelings person like that over him. It didn't make sense. The longer he stared, the more he seethed. He tightened his fists into tight balls and started to breathe in and out heavily. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned once again to his side to see his brother looking at him and shaking his head, silently telling him to back off. How could his own brother ask that of him though? Didn't he care? Wasn't their toy important to him? Tears forming in his eyes, he turned back to Mori, "How the hell is this even possible?"

"Hikaru, calm down," Kaoru said quietly from his seat next to his brother. He wasn't worried about Haruhi or Mori because Mori could take care of himself and Haruhi would be protected by the tall senior. He was however worried about Hikaru. If he flew off the handle and did something drastic, he could be the one injured.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down when it is apparent that those two don't belong together? I mean look at them. They are the odd couple!" Hikaru yelled at his brother and then turned back to Mori and Haruhi, "He is coercing you into being with him isn't he?" He turned to Tamaki, "Aren't you going to say anything Tono?"

Haruhi was furious. How dare Hikaru say that stuff! Her own hands in fits, she stood up quickly and placed those fists on her hips, "Do you think that I would only date him because he is making me? Do you not know him better than that or me for that matter? You are a moron! I am dating him because I love him."

"L-L-Love? You love him?" Tamaki squeaked. He had been in his corner this whole time and in a trance like state. This news did not improve matters.

"How can you love him?" Hikaru retaliated. He did not like being called out for his actions or his words and it just made him want to lash out more. Was it childish? Yes it was, but he didn't really care at that moment in time.

Mori grabbed Haruhi's arm and pulled her down to sit next to him again. He looked at her and gave her a look that told her to calm down, and then he turned his attention to Hikaru and said, "You need to calm down and sit."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Hikaru bellowed.

"Hikaru, sit down," Kyoya glared at the younger host.

Hikaru looked at Kyoya and although he was still angry and hurt, he plopped down on the couch once again. The shadow king was one person he did not want to go up against.

"Good, now Mori-senpai, Haruhi if you will continue?" Kyoya said pushing his glasses up his nose.

The couple looked at Kyoya and then each other. Haruhi grabbed Mori's hand and laced her fingers with his then said, "We have been dating for about four months now. We didn't want to keep the secret from our friends any longer than we have."

Tamaki made his way out of his mushroom corner and to the small gathering. He looked at Haruhi and something snapped. He couldn't lose her! It wasn't fair, but why was he feeling this way? It had to be because she was too young and he needed to protect her from the beast that was Mori-senpai, "I forbid you to date! You are too young and he is too old. He isn't right for you. You need someone more like me!"

"Get over yourself Tamaki-senpai. I can date who I want and I want to date Takashi," Haruhi said bluntly.

Tamaki clutched his chest. The pain was immense and he couldn't breathe. What was happening? He felt like he was dying. Was he dying? "Kyoya, call the hospital. I think I am having a heart attack!" Tamaki gasped and fell to his knees still clutching his chest where his heart lay.

"Get up you moron. You are not dying. You are just being a drama queen like usual. Now get up off of the floor and sit down like a normal person," Kyoya said rolling his eyes.

Tamaki did not make a move to get off of the floor, but he did start to think about all of this. Kyoya seemed very calm for just finding out this gargantuan secret. In fact Kyoya usually knew everything, and that is when the light bulb went off in his head. Kyoya already knew that they were a couple. "Kyoya, how long have you known?" Tamaki asked glaring at his best friend as he stood up and walked towards the group once again.

Kyoya raised an eye brow at Tamaki's miracle recovery and looked down at his watch. From heart attack to confrontational in under a minute, a new record. He looked down at his black notebook and made a quick note about something and then looked up, all eyes were on him. He released an exasperated breath, snapped the notebook shut, and said, "I have known for a while now, almost from the beginning actually."

"The beginning and you didn't tell me? I am her father and I have the right to know!" Tamaki yelled.

"You are not my father and you don't need to know everything that goes on in my life," Haruhi grumbled.

"But Haruhi, I am just looking out for you! You need my protection from salacious people that would try to entrap you. You need to listen to your daddy and get away from Mori-senpai right now. You are too young to date and you cannot date him. He isn't right for you!" Tamaki wailed.

"My dad knows I am dating Takashi and loves him. His family knows that we are dating also and approve of the match," Haruhi stated plainly.

"She is right. My parents approve of her and the relationship. They support us and will continue to do so," Mori added.

"Haruhi you can't date him. You need someone like me. My father also approves of you," Tamaki whined and then ran back to his mushroom patch to pout. Muttering things about a mean and rebellious daughter, and daughters should listen more.

Haruhi and Mori both rolled their eyes at his antics. He was being ridiculous, but it was nothing less than they had expected from him. Haruhi turned her gaze back on Hikaru. His face was getting redder and he looked like he was about to explode. She was getting worried, "Hikaru?"

"I agree with Tono! You do not need to be dating him!" Hikaru yelled.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but things will not change because you and Tamaki-senpai disagree with my choice of boyfriend. I love Takashi and he loves me. We are together. We told you because you are our friends and we didn't want to keep it a secret any longer. I am sorry if you cannot accept things as they are, but that does not mean we will break up because you don't like something," Haruhi articulated very clearly for her friend.

Mori looked at the eldest twin and was ready to spring if Hikaru decided to attack. He didn't think it was likely, but Hikaru had a temper and it was not always controlled. Many times he acted first and thought later. Mori would not allow Haruhi to be hurt by anyone, especially a friend. "Hikaru, I love her and you need to accept things the way they are. I am sorry we hurt you, but nothing is going to change." Mori added quietly, watching Hikaru's reaction to his words. What he did not add was that he actually planned on marrying Haruhi one day.

Kaoru had sat by and tried to hold his brother back. He was hurt that Haruhi had been hiding her relationship for as long as she had. She was someone that was special to him and his brother, and he counted her as one of his best friends. He would even say that he had some feelings beyond friendship for her, but he could see it in her eyes that she really did love Mori. She was happy and wanted to be with him. He may not like it, but he couldn't destroy her because he wanted something else. Could he? No, he couldn't. Haruhi Fujioka deserved her own happiness. Giving her a sad smile as his heart was breaking inside, he said, "Are you really happy? Do you really love him? This isn't some sort of joke or anything? He didn't force you to start dating him, did he?"

Haruhi looked at the younger twin and knew that their confession had hurt him as it had Tamaki and Hikaru. She tried to smile to reassure him, but it was flat because she hated that she had to hurt anyone, "I am happy with Takashi. It wasn't by force or anything else. We just started dating. I went to a kendo match and he asked me out to dinner. That is where it started and before I knew it, I was falling in love with him."

"You can't love him because you haven't given me a chance!" Hikaru demanded.

"Hikaru, she has made her choice," Kaoru said sadly.

"You can't tell me that you just accept this! She is our toy and she belongs to us!" Hikaru shouted.

"I'm sorry Hikaru, but I don't," Haruhi said calmly. She felt like she wanted to slap him and knock some sense into him. Feeling an arm snake around her shoulders she was pulled tightly into the side of her boyfriend. He always knew when she needed that extra little bit of comfort.

_Flash back…_

_It was not a normal day and Haruhi had woken up sad and depressed. Today was the anniversary of her mother's death and she wanted to do nothing more than crawl back into bed. She had not told Mori about the significance of today since he was supposed to go out of town for a kendo tournament. She wanted him there with her, but knew that he couldn't be. So she did not burden him about it. _

_Getting up, she got ready for the day and then packed a lunch to take with her to visit her mother. Her father had disappeared like he usually did this time every year. It was just too hard for him to face the death anniversary of his beloved wife. She sometimes wished he would go with her to the grave, but it was just too difficult and he always broke down. Haruhi stopped asking a few years go and started to go on her own. _

_As she was finishing the last of the preparations to leave the house, a knock sounded at the door. She wasn't sure who it could be and didn't really want to be bothered on today of all days, but found herself moving quickly to the door so that she could get rid of whoever it was on the other side as soon as possible. Opening the door, she was surprised to find not just someone, but her boyfriend standing there looking at her with worried eyes. "Takashi what are you doing here?" She asked confused. She was sure he had a match he was supposed to be at or on the way to. _

_"You are more important," Mori said simply and stepped inside the house taking her into his arms. _

_"How did you know?" _

_"Your father called me this morning. Why didn't you tell me? I would have done whatever I had to do to be there for you," Mori said simply. In fact as soon as he had received the call, he told his father what was going on and both of his parents understood that he had to be with Haruhi._

_"You had kendo today. I didn't want to burden you with this. It is nothing anyway. I go every year by myself."_

_"Not anymore," Mori promised as he kissed the top of her head and let her go. _

_Haruhi had found her first smile that morning as her boyfriend released her from his embrace. She went and finished the meal as Mori took off his shoes. Together they packed everything and when completed, they made their way to her mother's grave. Haruhi introduced her boyfriend to her mother that day and Mori had given his respects to Kotoko Fujioka. A bad day had turned into something good._

_End of flashback_

Haruhi looked up at her boyfriend's face and then back to her friends. Yes, he was always there for her and always gave her the comfort she wanted, but never knew she needed. He had helped her to open up and she had found herself depending on him when she never depended on anyone before. She knew with him she could face anything and taking a deep breath said, "We are not asking for your permission. We are telling you about us so that you know and didn't find out accidentally."

"I can't accept this!" Hikaru said and stormed out of the music room.

Kaoru shook his head; home was not going to be a fun place right now. He slowly stood up and looked at the couple, "I will go after him. Thank you for telling us and I really do hope you are happy together."

"Thank you Kaoru," Haruhi said softly.

Mori also said, "Thank you." He knew that the younger twin was the most mature and would be the one that could reason it out before he acted. Hikaru was the opposite, but at least no punches flew. He knew Haruhi would have been upset if something happened to their friends. Looking down at the small woman by his side, he said, "Are you ready to go?"

Nodding, Haruhi said, "Yah, I think we are done here for the day."

"Mitsukuni, you and Haruhi stay here for a second. I will be go get our things and be right back," Mori instructed.

"Ok Takashi," Hunny said with a smile on his face. He had been worried about the meeting and knew that Haruhi was not happy about inflicting pain on their friends, but it had to be done. The sooner they ripped the band aid off the better. He looked towards the corner where Tamaki still resided and shook his head. Walking closer to the host club king, he said, "Tama-Chan they didn't do this to hurt you. They are happy together."

Tamaki looked up with sad eyes. Tears pooled in the violet depths, but had yet to fall. He meekly said, "But she is my daughter and I was supposed to marry her."

Hunny rolled his eyes, "Be happy for her Tama-Chan." He walked back to Haruhi and when Mori came out of the back room with all of their things, the three of them left the club room and made their way down to the car.

Tamaki looked back down and was trying to reason everything out in his head. Haruhi was with Mori now. How did all of this happen? Is it because he didn't make himself available to her? What was he thinking? He is her father, but still he knew that he wanted to marry her one day and his father wanted him to marry her. What did all of this mean? Then a lightning bolt hit him. They were together, but that did not mean they were engaged or married. He still had a chance. With that resolution, he stood up and dusted himself off. He would win her over and she would know that he was the better man!

Kyoya had been watching Tamaki from his table and shook his head. The way he just got up from the corner spelled trouble. He would need to keep an eye on Tamaki and Hikaru because something told him they were not going to give up that easily. Both of them had intentions on marrying the only female host, but in Kyoya's eyes it was too late. He wondered when the two idiots would wake up and see it for themselves. Haruhi was going to have to pay for this added hassle and he thought about how much he could add to her debt.


	12. Reactions

**A/N: The feedback on this story has been amazing and that is the reason it is turning out longer than I expected. Thank you everyone! Here is the next chapter, let me know what you think.**

Chapter 12 – Reactions

As Tamaki left the club room, he made his way to his father's office. He needed advice. Hikaru wanted Haruhi for himself. Kyoya and Hunny appeared to be supporting Mori, and he knew that Kaoru would be supporting his brother. What about him? Didn't he deserve support also?

Walking into the section of Ouran that housed the administrative offices, he walked into the area that his father's office was located and walked up to his secretary, "Hi Akiko. Is my father available?"

"Yes sir, you can go on in," Akiko said smiling at the teen. She could tell something was weighing on him and it wasn't often that he sought out his father. She only hoped that Yuzuru would be able to help him.

Tamaki thanked the secretary and walked towards the office doors that were closed. He knocked once and when he heard his father telling him to come in, he opened the door and walked into the large office.

Yuzuru looked up from the papers he was reviewing on his desk and saw his son enter, "What do you want Tamaki, I am very busy."

"I need advice father. I mean chairman," Tamaki corrected himself remember that when at school, his father wanted to be called by his title.

The older man studied his son long and hard. Something happened and Tamaki looked like he had been put through the ringer, "What's wrong son?"

Tamaki walked forward and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his father's desk, "How do you get the girl you want when she is with someone else?"

"Is this about Haruhi Fujioka?"

"Yes, she and Mori-senpai just announced to the club that they were dating. She said that she loved him and he said he loved her," Tamaki said as he voice caught on the last sentence.

Yuzuru sat back in his chair. This changed things a lot. His plans for his son's future wife would have to be modified now. He looked at his son and could see the heartbreak all over his face. This had truly hurt him, "Tamaki, there is nothing you can do. Would you hurt her and force her to be with you when she loved another man?"

Tamaki looked up, "But I want her!"

"So you would force her?"

"No! No, I would never force her," Tamaki said softly.

"But that is what you are talking about doing. If she loves Morinozuka-san, don't you think as her friend you should support her? If it doesn't work out, then you can see if there is something between you. You can take your chance then, but if she loves someone else, to force her would be to hurt her in the end and you would lose some good friends as well any chance you could have with her in the future. Emotional scars don't heal like physical scars. Do you understand?"

Tamaki thought about what his father had said. Could he accept that? Could he step back and let Mori have her? He didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted a chance too. Looking at his father, he could see that Yuzuru knew first-hand what he was talking about. He knew his father had a lot of regrets and was just trying to prevent his son from having regrets also, but wouldn't letting her go be one of those regrets? "Father, I know you don't want me to have regrets, but letting her go would be a regret of mine."

"What is the bigger regret: letting her go now and staying in her life as a friend, or pursuing her and losing her in your life along with some of your other friends?"

When his father put it that way, it seemed so easy and yet he knew it would be hard to let her go, "I understand father."

"Think about what I said Tamaki. If you really love her, you should want to see her happy whether that is with you or someone else. I am not saying it is easy or that it won't hurt, but it is the right thing to do."

"I know father. Thank you," Tamaki said as he stood up and bowed. Turning, he walked out of the office and down to his waiting car. He had a lot to think about.

A similar conversation was happening at the Hitachiin mansion. Hikaru had been shocked and hurt by the announcement today. It was not something he was expecting and he hadn't even realized the true extent of his feelings until he found out that he lost her to Mori. What could he do? He needed something that would win her over to his side and away from the stoic senior.

"Don't Hikaru," Kaoru said quietly from his position on the couch in the bedroom. He knew that his brother was hurting and that if he could not be convinced to back off, he might cause problems for the couple. He didn't want to lose his friendship with Haruhi, but if his brother acted, that is exactly what could happen.

"Don't what? She is just with him because she didn't know that others cared. You know how dense she is," Hikaru rebutted.

"She is with Mori-senpai now and she loves him. Did you see the way she looked at him when he wrapped his arm around her?"

"That was nothing. She doesn't really love him. She is only in her first year of high school. There is no way that will last and Mori-senpai will be gone next year. Sooner or later she will realize that they were not meant to be and that she needs someone else. I plan on being that someone else."

"Does this mean that you will not do anything to sabotage their relationship?" Kaoru asked curiously. That didn't sound like the Hikaru he knew. Hikaru was conniving and liked to get people back when he felt that he was wronged, and in this case he felt very much wronged.

"I am just going to help her see that she and I are a better match than her and Mori-senpai," Hikaru smirked.

"Don't do it. She really does love him and if you do this, you can lose a friend. You may even lose a brother over this," Kaoru threatened.

Hikaru turned around and looked at his younger twin. Did he just hear Kaoru correctly? "What did you say?"

"I said that if you continue this, I cannot support you. She deserves to be happy with the person she loves. If you hurt her, you could lose her friendship and I will be there to help her. Are you willing for all of that to happen?" Kaoru said very seriously.

"I have to try," Hikaru whispered. His mind was reeling. Kaoru actually said that if Haruhi chose not to be friends with him, Kaoru would be there for her. He would really choose her over him?

"You will fail. She loves him and as her friends we should support her and who she chooses. Forcing ourselves on her will not do anything but cause her to walk away from us forever," Kaoru said in a resigned voice and stood up. "Do you want to lose her forever, or do you want to keep her as a friend?" He walked out, shutting the door behind him and sought out his father. He needed to tell him that any form of wedding plans with Haruhi in the future was done. He loved his brother, but sometimes Hikaru had the ability to take things too far. He could not support him in this. He knew what his twin was feeling because he was feeling it too. He loved Haruhi and unlike Hikaru, he knew long before today, but he also knew that he wanted her to be happy more than anything and he could tell Mori made her happy. He would support them because it is what she wanted.

Hikaru had watched his brother leave the room. His jaw had dropped. He couldn't believe everything that Kaoru had said. If he loved her, didn't he have to at least try to let her know that Mori wasn't the only on that wanted to be in her life romantically? Didn't he owe it to himself to try to win her? Maybe she really was with Mori because she was clueless to the feelings of others?

There were so many questions that the young teen kept asking himself, but then something dawned on him. Kaoru had said "ourselves" and "us". Quickly going over the conversation today and others he has had with his brother, he had an epiphany: Kaoru was also in love with Haruhi Fujioka. Hikaru fell to the floor holding his head in his hands. He and his brother loved the same girl and it appeared Kaoru had actually realized his feelings first. His twin was going to step back and let Hikaru have her until today. Instead he is stepping back and letting Mori have her. One twin was willing to let her go so that she could find happiness and the other twin wanted to do whatever it took to force himself in her life.

Tears started to flow down Hikaru's face. He was ashamed about how he had been acting. He didn't think that Kaoru understood what he was going through or what he felt, he had been so wrong. He should have known better. Kaoru was so giving and Hikaru was just taking. Crying, he thought of everything that his twin had said. He just didn't know if he could be as brave and mature as his brother. He loved her and wanted her in his life as more than a friend. What was he going to do?

When Mori and Hunny had dropped Haruhi off at her house, Mori had decided he needed to stay with her. So he sent Hunny home without him and carried her bag up the stairs. She didn't argue with him, she just quietly moved towards her apartment and opened the door. He watched her walk into the kitchen and started the water for tea. Walking up to her, he wrapped his arms around her, "Are you alright?"

Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist while she buried her face in his shirt, "I will be. I just didn't realize that they felt so strongly. I know you told me that they cared, but I don't think I let myself really believe it."

Stroking his hands up and down her back in a soothing gesture, "I know."

"Will you stay for a while?" Haruhi asked quietly. She just needed someone there.

"I will stay as long as you want me to," Mori quietly said and then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He finally let her go with the water was boiling and pushed her into the living room so that he could make the tea for her. He smiled when she went without too much of an argument and brought the tea into her after a few minutes.

"Do you think it will be ok by tomorrow?" Haruhi asked.

Mori gave her a funny look. If she really believed that she was a little more clueless than he thought, but he realized that it was she was hoping for. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I will pick you up and drop you off tomorrow though. Ok?"

Offering her boyfriend a small smile, she moved to where she was sitting right next to him and laid her head against his arm, "Ok." Tomorrow was another day and hopefully after the others had time to think and sleep on it, they would see she was happy where she was and that is what mattered.


	13. Terms of a Duel

**A/N: Hikaru and Tamaki got some really good advice, but the question now is, will they follow it or not? We will just have to see. Thank you to Stylewriter565 for your help and advice on this chapter! Enjoy the next chapter and if you have a chance, please review. **

Chapter 13 – Terms of a Duel

Haruhi didn't sleep a wink the night before and as such she still felt half asleep when Mori arrived to pick her up for school. Looking down at his girlfriend, he wondered if she would be able to make it through the day with as tired as she looked. She assured him that she would be fine and that she would wake up by the time they made it to school. That didn't happen, she fell asleep in the car and it took a couple of minutes for Mori to shake her awake, "Are you sure you don't just want to stay home this morning and get some sleep?"

"I will be fine Takashi. I just had a hard time falling asleep and staying that way last night," Haruhi argued. The lack of sleep gave her a short fuse and she hated it when people fussed over her too much. She felt bad for how she spoke to her boyfriend and wanted to apologize, but she couldn't seem to get the words out. Slapping herself mentally, she had to wake up.

Mori looked down at his girlfriend and shook his head. He knew she was tired and didn't take offense at her snappiness. She may be fairly easy to get up and she may not wake up in a foul mood, but when she was tired, she could rank with Kyoya and Hunny. Looking down at his watch, he noticed that they were a bit early and had time to make a short detour. He looked down at Hunny and gave him a small tilt of the head while grabbing Haruhi's elbow.

Hunny knew immediately where they were going. It was time to get some coffee into Haruhi in hopes that would wake her up a bit because it looked as if she was about to fall asleep standing up. While Mori was on one side of Haruhi, Hunny was on the other since he wasn't sure she would not take a nose dive and need to be caught. It was doubtful that he would need to step in with Mori right there, but you never knew and it was always best to stay on your toes.

Haruhi was pulled from her sleepiness when she felt Mori's hand grab her arm and guide her in a direction that led away from her classroom. Looking from her boyfriend on one side of her to Hunny who was flanking the other side of her, she felt like she was a prisoner and there was no chance of escape. Huffing she growled, "Where do you think you are taking me?"

"Host club," Mori answered simply.

"Why? We don't have a meeting this morning!" Haruhi said as she tried to bring herself to a stop and failed miserably. Instead of stopping, she tripped and had to be caught by Mori.

"Haru-Chan, you need something to help you wake up and the club room has coffee. You can get some caffeine in you and then go to class, or we can arrange for you to miss your first period and you can get some sleep," Hunny explained. He hoped that she would take them up on their offer to let her sleep, but he knew that the chance of that happening was very slim.

"I can't miss classes. I have my scholarship to think about, remember?" Haruhi exclaimed.

"What is better: falling asleep in class or sleeping in the club room and getting some rest?" Mori asked.

Haruhi opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was right, but that didn't mean that she had to like it, "We will see how I feel after I have had some coffee."

Mori gave an almost imperceptible smile and said, "Ok." He knew that he had made a good point and he learned a long time ago, when arguing with Haruhi, you had to use logic.

They made it to the club room and walked in, but they were not the only ones that had sought out the club room that morning. Tamaki and Kyoya were also there. Tamaki was whining to Kyoya about something while the shadow king typed away on his computer. He did not look happy about something. When they looked up at the sound of the door shutting, Tamaki immediately over reacted upon seeing Haruhi being held up by Mori and a slight swerve, "HARUHI! What happened to my precious daughter? What did you do to her?" He ran forward, but was unable to grab her since Mori had swung her up in his arms.

"He didn't do anything to her Tama-Chan. She is just really tired this morning," Hunny explained so that Tamaki would calm down. It didn't work.

"What is wrong with her? Why is she so tired? Haruhi can you hear me? Speak to daddy! Mommy, we need to get Haruhi to a hospital!" Tamaki was in panic mode.

Mori moved to one of the couches and set her down gently. He asked if she was alright and when she nodded, he moved to the kitchen to get her some strong coffee. He only hoped that would help to wake her up for now, but he knew she needed sleep more than anything.

Once Mori had deposited her on one of the couches, she grumbled, "I am fine Tamaki-senpai. I just didn't get much sleep last night and am really tired today."

Tamaki rushed to the couch and pulled her into his arms, "Why couldn't you get any sleep last night? Did Mori-Senpai upset you? Tell daddy and he will make it all better!"

Haruhi tried to push Tamaki away and was unsuccessful. He was once again in daddy mode and when he got like this, it was nearly impossible for him to stop. "Gah, let me go!" Haruhi yelled.

"Tama-Chan, she needs air and you need to move to another chair," Hunny said quietly.

"But she needs me Hunny-senpai!" Tamaki declared.

"No, she doesn't. Let go and move to another chair," Hunny said in a threatening voice.

Tamaki gulped, but didn't move until Kyoya walked up and told him to move to another chair. Once seated across from Haruhi, Tamaki wailed, "But mommy!"

"But nothing Tamaki. She is fine and just needs some sleep. Coffee will help her and Mori-senpai is already getting that for her. She doesn't need you in her personal space preventing her from breathing. Now stay where you are and let her have some air," Kyoya said as he moved back to his computer. He was working on some investing for the club and found it hard to work with Tamaki crying and carrying on this morning. When Haruhi had appeared, Tamaki got more annoying.

"Ok," Tamaki managed to say in a small voice.

Mori was back a couple of minutes later with a cup of coffee, but Haruhi's eyes were closed and her breathing evened out. She was asleep. Setting the cup on the table, he shook his head and went to retrieve a blanket from the back room. When she was covered he went to talk to Kyoya, "Can you arrange for her to miss her first couple of classes? I have a feeling her lack of sleep was due to the reactions of Hikaru and Tamaki."

"I have already taken care of it. She will not be penalized for missing. The same goes for you and Hunny-senpai if you needed it," Kyoya said as he continued to work.

"Thank you," Mori said quietly and moved back to the area where his girlfriend was. When he pulled up a chair and sat down, he looked over at Tamaki and knew that he was still struggling with his feelings, but he also saw something that looked almost like resignation. Did he decide that he was going to accept them?

Tamaki watched Mori take care of Haruhi this morning. The giant was gentle with her and did everything with a loving hand, and for that Tamaki could not fault the man or his feelings. Looking up at Mori, he said, "I know that you love her and I know she would not have said that he loved you without it being true."

Mori nodded. He wasn't sure where Tamaki was going with this, but he seemed to need to get something off of his chest, so Mori waited for Tamaki to continue.

"She didn't get much sleep because of us, right?" Tamaki asked.

Mori shrugged, that was his theory, but that didn't mean he was right. Knowing Haruhi though, it was and he said, "I think so."

"I love her and had even talked to my father about marrying her. Actually he talked to me about it first and that helped me to realize that I was falling for her."

"It is easy to do. She is easy love," Mori said, but his face gave nothing away. He was curious about what Tamaki was trying to say and where he was going with this.

"I don't think that I will stop loving her anytime soon, but I also don't want to hurt her. I don't want to lose her either and if I tried to come between the two of you, I believe that she would choose you," Tamaki said sadly as tears came to his eyes but did not fall.

Mori looked at Haruhi and then back at the younger man before him, "She would."

"So I really have no choice but to step back and let you continue your relationship with her. Both of you are friends that I don't want to lose. We are a family, right?"

Nodding once again, Mori said, "Yes, we are."

Tamaki nodded himself. It was one of the hardest speeches he had ever had to give, but no truer words had ever been spoken. He did cherish his friendship with both of them and the club was more of a family to him than his real one. He didn't want to destroy what they had built together. "Treat her right and know that if it doesn't work out, I will be waiting in the wings for her. If you make her cry, I will be there. If you ever mess up, I will be there and I will let her know that I will always be there for her. Those are my terms."

"I know," Mori said simply. He looked once again to Haruhi and promised silently that he would never lose her or give her reasons to leave him for someone else in the wings. Exhaling he said to himself, _"One down and one to go, I only hope that Hikaru has come to the same conclusion."_


	14. En Garde

**A/N: Well Tamaki has accepted the couple. In this chapter we will find out Hikaru's reaction to everything. We know that Kaoru threatened him, but will Hikaru listen to what was said or make his own decision? Read and find out. Enjoy and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 14 – En Garde

Hikaru had been up half of the night thinking about what his next step would be. He didn't think that he could be like his brother and just give her up. _"What is Tono doing?" _Hikaru wondered to himself. Until he knew for sure, Tamaki and Mori were both rivals for the woman he loved, and he didn't know if he could ever look at it any differently. When he had woken up to get ready for school, he still did not know what he would do. His choices were step back and not try while letting her go to Mori without a challenge; or he could fight for her and risk losing everything and everyone in the process. He reasoned with himself that pursuing her was not selfish, it was just life.

Walking down to the dining room after getting ready for school, Hikaru noticed that his brother was oddly absent. He questioned the maids and found out that his brother had left without him. _"What is Kaoru doing? We always go to school together," _Hikaru growled internally. He calmed himself down saying that his brother was just giving him space to figure things out and such, but it still smarted that his brother would leave without a word to him. In fact the last words were from the previous night when he said "Do you want to lose her forever, or do you want to keep her as a friend?" Kaoru had walked out of the room after that and Hikaru had not seen or talked to him since. It was not the norm and he felt off without his brother by his side, like he was missing his other half. Shaking off those thoughts, Hikaru finished breakfast and made his way to the car to go to school.

"What am I going to do?" He asked aloud, but no one was there to hear or advise him. On one hand he could understand what Kaoru was saying, but on the other… could he leave it without letting Haruhi know what his feelings really were? He was still in a jumble and found himself getting more and more frustrated as the minutes passed by.

The other thing Hikaru had to consider… could his brother be serious about his threats? Would Hikaru lose Kaoru, his brother and other half, because he chose to not completely give up Haruhi? Kaoru was a sometimes conscious to him and he didn't know if he could get along without Kaoru. Hikaru didn't know if he was ready for that break. Did that mean he made the decision and would give up on Haruhi?

The car pulled up to the school and Hikaru slowly made his way to class. He wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything around him, but seemed to manage to arrive without incident. Sticking his head in to peek before he walked inside, he saw his brother sitting at his desk writing in his journal. Haruhi was nowhere in sight, "Where is Haruhi? She is normally here by now."

Kaoru stiffened for a second, but did not lift his head or turn around at the sound of his brother's voice. He answered in a hesitant tone, "She isn't here yet. I haven't seen her."

"Oh," Hikaru said as he made his way to his own desk. He was disappointed that she was missing and felt oddly bereft. It wasn't the same emptiness he felt without his twin, but it was still there none the less. "Should we go look for her?" He asked as he sat down.

"No, we should leave her alone right now. I am sure we caused her enough problems after last night's meeting," Kaoru answered. Did this mean that his brother was not taking his advice to heart? He had heard the discontent in Hikaru's voice when he realized Haruhi had not arrived yet, and was worried that Hikaru would try to woo her to his side and away from Mori. That plan would end badly. Kaoru didn't need to be able to see the future to know that one.

"What if she is hurt or sick or something else?" Hikaru asked in a slightly frustrated tone.

"Then she has her father and Mori-senpai to take care of her," Kaoru answered bluntly.

Hikaru didn't like that answer, but managed to swallow his anger, "Don't you think she will want us with her also? You know Tono will try to go to her."

"No, I don't think that she will. If Tamaki-senpai chooses to go to her, that is his business. He has to make his own decisions about her just as you do."

_"He is so calm and hasn't looked up once since I walked into the room. Was he serious about what he said last night?" _Hikaru said to himself. "So you think I should just sit back and do nothing?" Hikaru asked snidely. He didn't mean to speak so sarcastically to Kaoru, but it was out and he was not going to take it back.

For the first time since his brother walked in the room, Kaoru stopped writing and looked up. He turned his head to the right to look at his brother with sad eyes. He knew that Hikaru was hurting and that it was hard for his brother to let things go, but in this instance he had to and if he did, Kaoru would be by his side until such time as they both found their soul mates. Releasing a pent up breath, he spoke softly, "Yes, I do for your sake as well as hers. She doesn't love you and there is nothing you can do to change that. She has made her decision and I think you should accept it instead of forcing something she doesn't want onto her. It is your decision though." He said what he needed to and once again looked down at his desk to start writing.

"I don't know how," Hikaru whispered so quietly no one else would have been able to hear him.

Within minutes students started to file into the classroom and take their seats. Class was going to start soon and both brothers realized that one student was still missing. Haruhi had still not made it to class. Kaoru wondered if she was trying to avoid the brothers, especially Hikaru, but that didn't really fit with her personality, so he was at a loss about what happened. Hikaru wondered what trouble she was in and realized that he was once again starting to sound like Tamaki and shook himself from his thoughts.

When Haruhi didn't show up for second period, the twins started to actually worry. They tried to call her cell phone and it went straight to voice mail. They both decided they needed to find out what was going on and made it a point that they would hunt Mori down after second period to find out what happened to their friend.

The twins rushed out of the door when second period ended and immediately made their way to where the third years had classes. They didn't find Mori, but they did find Hunny. To the twins he seemed a little odd without his tall cousin, but he didn't seem to be out of sorts from missing his large accessory. They called out to him and when he stopped and looked at them with a huge smile on his face, Hikaru asked, "Where is Haruhi?"

"Oh, she is sleeping. She should be in her next class, but I am not sure Takashi was able to wake her up yet. She was out cold," Hunny said giggling at the memory of his best friend trying to wake Haruhi up as gently as possible. She was sleeping like the dead.

"Sleeping?" Kaoru asked.

"Yah, she didn't get much sleep last night and fell asleep in the car on the way to school this morning. Takashi and I took her to the club room to get some coffee in her system, but before she could drink it, she fell asleep. I went ahead and stayed with them. Takashi tried to wake her up about 30 minutes ago, but she was being a bit difficult. I finally left so that I could run by the library and then make it to my third period class," Hunny explained giving a very pointed look at Hikaru. He felt the young man needed to know that he was part of the reason for her difficulty with sleep the previous night.

Hikaru shuffled from foot to foot. He knew what the look Hunny was giving him meant and he felt horrible. Immediately he wondered if it could be that she was regretting her decision to stay with Mori, but pushed that thought to the side. It was more likely that she had trouble the night before because of how he and Tamaki reacted to the news she was dating Mori. He had not meant to hurt her. "Do you think they are still in the club room?" Hikaru asked. He had to know something.

"Takashi isn't here yet, so I think that is probably the case Hika-Chan," Hunny said suspiciously. There was a glint in the younger man's eyes he didn't like and he would do anything to make sure Mori and Haruhi were happy, "Why do you want to know? What are you planning?"

"Nothing Hunny-senpai, I just need to talk to her," Hikaru defended himself. Hunny was one person he did not want to go up against, but he had to see her. He had to know. Leaving his brother and Hunny watching his retreating figure, Hikaru quickly made his way to the music room. He had to see Haruhi. She was the only one that could help him figure everything out.

"What do you think he is going to do? I will not have Haruhi or Takashi hurt," Hunny asked cuteness thrown to the side. He looked very serious and was ready to do battle if needed.

"I honestly don't know Hunny-senpai. I wish I did. I do think that we should follow him though," Kaoru decided.

"Let's go Kao-Chan," Hunny said and together they moved to follow Hikaru to the music room.

Hikaru arrived at the music room. The doors were shut and before he walked in, he paused to gather his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and made his way inside the room reserved for hosting. Scanning the room, Hikaru realized that Mori was not in the room at the moment. _"He could be in the kitchen,"_ he reasoned with himself. Haruhi was sitting on one of the couches sipping coffee and looking like she had just woken up. He started forward making his way to the girl that had captured his heart.

Haruhi looked up when the door opened and saw Hikaru walk in. Groaning inwardly, she looked back down at the cup and saucer in her hand. She really didn't want to have to deal with him one on one right now, but Mori had moved to the kitchen to make some more coffee and to call Kyoya to get them dismissed from classes until lunch. Mori could have tried it, but for some reason Kyoya had the school wired and could do it easily and without question. Haruhi had a feeling that it was the Ootori name, but did not voice her thoughts out loud.

The female host knew that Hikaru was making his way towards her and she cringed inwardly. She was not awake enough to have a confrontation. Mori had told her about Tamaki when she finally woke up, but she had nagging feeling that Hikaru would not give up so easily. Tamaki was more in tune with other's feelings and wanted to help people regardless of the pain it caused him. Hikaru was selfish and was just learning to open up to people outside of him and Kaoru's world. Once he had something, Hikaru did not want to let it go and she had a feeling that included her. Steeling herself for the confrontation, she made no outward reaction to his approach.

Hikaru moved slowly, nervous about what he was about to do. He noticed that Haruhi didn't seem to notice that he was there yet and wondered if she was still half asleep. When he was only a few steps away from her, he cleared his throat to let her know that he was there and observed that she seemed to brace herself. Surely he imagined that though. He sat down next to her on the couch and cleared his throat once again, "I know that you are with Mori-senpai now and have been for a while."

Haruhi looked up suddenly with a slightly confused expression for the man sitting next to her. Had she misjudged him? Setting her coffee down on the table in front of her, she folded her hands in her lap and looked Hikaru in the eye, "Yes, I am and I am very happy with him."

Was that a hint of a smile when talking about Mori? Was that a dreamy look in her eye? Hikaru brushed it off, he had to know. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled loudly and tried to calm himself. Grabbing her hands with one of his, he placed the other one on her shoulder and said, "I feel like you need to know that I love you also and want to be with you. I will give you everything and I know that I can make you happy."

Haruhi tried to move back, but the grip on her shoulder tightened and she knew that she could not get away for the moment. She tried to reason with him. "Takashi is who I choose to be with and he makes me very happy. I know this hurts you, but I don't want anyone else. I just want you to accept my choice as a friend. You may not like it, but it is my decision to make. I'm sorry Hikaru."

A look of disillusionment flashed across his face and he didn't think after that, he only acted. Moving swiftly forward, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. He blocked out the fact that she was trying to break the kiss, and soon felt himself ripped from her. He watched as Haruhi moved off of the couch and backed away from her friend. Realizing what he had done Hikaru felt ashamed and tried to apologize, "I'm sorry Haruhi, I don't know what came over me."

Haruhi wiped her lips with the back of her hand and looked slightly scared of her friend. She knew that Hikaru could be possessive, but she never thought that he would try to force a kiss on her. Kaoru and Hunny had pulled him away from her just as Mori had walked back into the room. She quickly ran to the safety of her boyfriend and as soon as she felt his arms wrap around her, she felt calmer. His arms were her safe haven.

"I can't believe you Hikaru!" Kaoru yelled.

"I think you need to leave Hika-Chan," Hunny ordered the younger man.

Hikaru slowly nodded and got up from the couch. He realized in those few moments how much he had hurt his friend and that Kaoru had been right. He had been so determined to know if there was even the slightest chance for him, he had not really thought about Haruhi at all. Now there was a good chance that he had lost her friendship and his brother. Looking at Kaoru, he saw a look of disgust on his brother's face. He had seriously messed up and regretted it more than anything else he had ever done. Walking out of the music room, he made his way to the gardens unable to concentrate on class right now.

When Hikaru had walked out of the music room, Kaoru turned towards the couple and said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what he was thinking. I mean I know what he was thinking, but I don't know why he did what he did."

Haruhi tightened her grip on Mori and said, "It isn't your fault Kaoru. I knew last night that Hikaru wasn't taking the news well. I figured he would try something, I just didn't know he would do what he did. Thank you for pulling him off of me. That goes for you too, Hunny."

"It was nothing Haru-Chan. Are you alright?" Hunny asked. He was worried about his young friend and wanted to be sure that she was not hurt.

"A little surprised and shaken up, but I am fine. I guess if I needed something to wake me up, that did it," Haruhi said trying to joke, but the joke fell flat.

Kaoru looked at his friend standing in the arms of the tall senior and knew she was where she belonged. Hikaru may have thought he loved Haruhi, but Hikaru had a long way to go before he understood what real love was. He hoped his brother learned his lesson and this brought him one step closer though. Making his way out of the room, he said good bye to the occupants so that he could search for his brother.

When the door was closed once again, Mori lifted Haruhi into his arms and moved towards the couch again. He sat down with her still in the encirclement of his arms and did not release her. He wanted her to know that she was safe and he was there for her. He also needed to know that she was alright. He had walked into the room as Kaoru and Hunny were separating the two teens, and if he had been there to help Haruhi, he could not promise that Hikaru would have come out unscathed. Leaning down he kissed the top of her head and told himself that everything was alright now. Running his fingers through her hair, he asked, "Are you sure you are ok?"

"I am fine Takashi. He scared me a little bit, but he didn't hurt me. I think he has learned his lesson. He was just trying to prove to himself that he didn't have a chance with me," Haruhi said bluntly.

Mori snorted; it was just like Haruhi to look at things like that. He knew that she was probably right, but that did not mean that he agreed with or liked what happened. _"Hikaru better have learned his lesson!" _Mori said to himself.

"Haru-Chan, it is probably best if you stay in here a little longer," Hunny suggested to his friend. _"We really need to start on her self-defense training," _he said to himself.

"Actually, Takashi was taking care of that before all of you came in the room," Haruhi explained.

Mori nodded, "Yah, we will not return to classes until after lunch."

"Good! Well if you will excuse me, I am going to class," Hunny smiled.

"Are you late? Do you need an excuse?" Haruhi asked.

"Nah Haru-Chan, this teacher loves me and will understand when I tell her that I had something to take care of," Hunny giggled as he made his way to the door, "I will see you guys later."

When they were alone, Mori pulled her a little closer and said, "Are you sure you are alright?"

Looking up into her boyfriend's eyes, she gave him a small smile, "I am ok. He needed to know and now he does. I am yours and only yours."

Mori searched her face for anything to indicate she was holding back from him, but found nothing. She truly believed everything she said and that made him love her just a little bit more. Leaning down he gave her a chaste kiss and then pulled her closer so that the side of her face rested over his heart. That was where she resided and his heart beat for her.


	15. We Accept

**A/N: Hikaru being the hothead that he is, he usually acts and then thinks, so I had to write him that way. LOL. I am really happy about all of the positive feedback I am receiving from this story. Thank you everyone! Enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think. **

Chapter 15 – We Accept

"Hikaru! Hikaru where are you?" Kaoru yelled running out of the school building and into the gardens. He knew his brother had probably not gone to class after what happened in the music room, but he wasn't exactly certain where his twin had disappeared to. Kaoru was truly disappointed in Hikaru. He never thought that his brother would force someone to kiss him. What did that say about the older Hitachiin twin? Still Kaoru believed that Hikaru had probably learned his lesson and needed someone right now.

Remembering the look on Hikaru's face when he fled, Kaoru believed that he regretted what he did, and that was the reason the younger twin decided to track his brother down. That look told Kaoru that Hikaru was sorry for what he did and he did not want to lose anyone in his life. He knew that he had messed up and instead of trying to apologize, Hikaru ran. Kaoru decided he needed to find his brother and when he couldn't find him in the regular gardens, Kaoru pressed on into the maze.

Hikaru had made his way to the heart of the maze and collapsed on one of the stone benches that were there. Putting his head in his hands, he started to weep. With his actions today, he had lost at least three of his friends and his brother. Why had he kissed her? Slapping his head, he knew why… he wanted to prove to himself that he really had no chance with Haruhi, and he realized after that kiss that he didn't have an inkling of a shot with her. She really did love Mori and she belonged with him. "It is over and I have lost everyone except Tono and the Shadow King. Could my life be any more pathetic?" Hikaru groaned out loud. He wasn't expecting an answer.

"Your life isn't pathetic, but sometimes I wonder about you," Kaoru smirked at his brother.

Hikaru jumped and looked towards the direction of the voice. He watched as his brother walked casually around the corner and moved towards him. "What are you doing here?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes and asked. Surely his own twin wasn't here to rub in his failure.

"Dear brother… I came to check on you. You looked like you could use a friend when you ran out of there," Kaoru responded.

"I thought that if I did anything, you were gone? You said that I would lose you."

"I said you might lose me, but when you left you looked so dejected that I was worried about you. You are still my brother after all. We have been together since conception and we have always been there for each other."

"So you are still my brother?"

Kaoru snickered and walked up to his brother putting an arm around him, "Well I haven't disowned you yet. We started out as brothers and we will end as brothers. Just because you did something stupid that is not going to change. I am kind of used to your stupid ideas by now."

"Hey! My ideas are not stupid!"

"What was today?"

Hikaru looked down at his shoes, "I know it was wrong Kaoru, but I had to know for sure. I couldn't just walk away and wonder what if for the rest of my life." Hikaru looked up at his brother with tears in his eyes.

"I know Hikaru, but now you have to let her go. She is with Mori-senpai now and she really does love him."

"I could tell when I kissed her that I never had a chance."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I am going to let her go and try to be happy for her. Do you think there is someone out there for us? Someone that will be able to tell us apart and love us for us?"

Kaoru looked into his brother's sad eyes. It was hard for Hikaru to let Haruhi go, but he was proud of his big brother for doing it. He is hurting now, but with time he will be able to really move on and Kaoru did believe that there was something more out there for them, "Yah, I do. I think there is someone out there that will love us back and will be perfect for each of us. This world is bigger than just our life at Ouran. Haruhi taught us that."

Tears were sliding down Hikaru's face as his brother pulled him in for a hug. This time the contact between them was not about an act or trying to win over the girls, now they just needed to comfort each other. They had both lost their dream girl and the one that they both loved, but the bond between each other was as strong as ever. They would help each other through this, and with each other by their side, they would not be alone.

_Back in the music room…_

"Are you sure you are alright?" Mori asked Haruhi as she sipped her coffee.

Groaning inwardly, Haruhi knew that Mori was just worried about her and probably wanted to slap Hikaru, but he needed to trust her when she said that she was fine. Putting her cup down once again on the table, she put her hands on his cheeks and looked him right in the eye. She articulated very slowly and clearly for him, "I am fine. Hikaru was just trying to make sure and he did. He surprised me at first, but he did not hurt me and I am over it."

Mori wanted to laugh at his small girlfriend trying to talk sense into him, "Ok, ok, I get it."

"It's about time," she mumbled under her breath and let him go. She picked up her coffee once again and started to review her notes for her afternoon classes. She had tried to go back to sleep, but for some reason when she had lain back down on the couch, she was wide awake. It seemed the coffee finally made its way into her blood stream and she couldn't sleep. Since she couldn't close her eyes, she decided studying was the next best thing for her to do. Of course it was easier to study without her boyfriend trying to ask her how she was every five minutes. Haruhi really did love Mori, but sometimes he knew how to push her buttons. It usually always involved him worrying about her and so she tried not to let it get to her because she loved the fact that he wanted to protect her (especially against deathly hugs of doom from Tamaki).

Haruhi stopped her reading and looked up after a few minutes. She turned her head towards Mori, who was reading his history book, "Do you think it is over now and they will accept us?"

Mori looked down at his girlfriend and then his eyes flickered to the double doors of the music room. Sighing he said, "I think so, at least I hope so, but I cannot be certain." He really wanted it to be over with because he knew that it really bothered Haruhi that her friends were hurting. She hated hurting them like this and he knew that she felt like the blame rested on her shoulders. That was just the way she was.

"Me too," came the quiet reply.

Leaning over and ruffling her hair, Mori said quietly, "It will work out eventually. They will accept us because they know we love each other and that you are happy."

"Thanks," Haruhi smiled. She was leaning up to give her boyfriend a kiss when the doors swung open and the impromtu commotion made her bump her head against Mori's chin. Rubbing her forehead, Haruhi looked towards the doors and saw Satoshi standing there with a determined expression. Confused Haruhi asked, "What are you doing here Satoshi?"

"Haruhi, Taka-bro, I heard that I would find you here. I came to lend you my support. I tried to make Chika come with me, but he said he had something else to take care of. Don't worry I will deal with him later!" Satoshi declared.

"Support for what?" Haruhi asked. She was still confused as to why Mori's little brother was standing in the music room.

"I heard the meeting didn't go well yesterday and Chika said that he heard all of you were meeting at lunch again today to discuss everything. I came to offer you my support," Satoshi explained and sat down on another couch across from the couple.

"Lunch meeting? Did you know about that?" Haruhi looked up at Mori and asked. Haruhi looked down at her watch and it was indeed just about lunch time. Time had seemed to fly by this morning.

"No," Mori said. He was as confused as she was. He looked up when the doors to the music room once again opened up and Kyoya walked in with his head down as he wrote in his black notebook. Knowing that if they wanted answers, Kyoya would probably have them, Mori asked, "Are we having a lunch meeting today?"

Kyoya looked up from his task, he said simply, "Yes, Tamaki decided that he wanted to get all of the hosts together at lunch today for a meeting, but he would not tell me why."

"I can only imagine. UGH!" Haruhi moaned.

"Don't worry Haruhi, no one will hurt you! Right Taka?" Satoshi promised.

Raising an eyebrow and rolling his eyes at the exuberance of his little brother, Mori said, "Yes, it is true."

"I am not worried about me. Satoshi, promise me that you will not hit anyone with your shinai or bokken!" Haruhi demanded.

Satoshi was a little surprised at her tone of voice. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked like he was wondering if he should really promise anything like that. Knowing his brother would be able to handle any situation presented, he finally said, "I promise not to hit anyone in this room with anything."

"And you will not do anything to Chika later for not coming to the meeting," Haruhi said.

Exhaling loudly, he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms like his was a pouting child. He finally said, "Fine, I won't do anything to Chika for not coming even though he should have come with me."

"Good, you can stay," said Haruhi smiling. She knew that she got to the younger Morinozuka and probably saved Chika a headache. Knowing it was pointless to get him to leave, she felt like extracting those promises out of him was the best she could do. When Satoshi set his mind to something, most people had a hard time reasoning with him. So if he was there to show his support of the couple, he would stay regardless if someone told him to leave. Mori might have been able to get him to leave and she knew his parents could, but this was easier than arguing with him.

"Behave and stay quiet," Mori instructed his younger brother. He knew what Haruhi had done and why. She knew his brother very well and could tell when she needed to argue with him or compromise. Today it appeared was a compromise day.

Tamaki was the next to enter and as soon as he saw Haruhi, he immediately ran to her side, "Haruhi, did you miss your daddy?!" An arm in front of her and a wooden beam in his path stopped him from picking her up and swinging her around the room. Tamaki followed the shinai up its length to settle on the face of Satoshi Morinozuka, "What are you doing here? This is a host meeting!"

"I am here to support my brother and Haruhi. She said I can stay, so I am," Satoshi sneered.

"What?! Haruhi don't you love daddy? Why did you let this person stay for our club meeting?" Tamaki turned to Haruhi.

"Because he asked and he is going to follow the rules and put that shinai up right now or I will put it up for him. Trust me when I say that this was the easiest and best course of action," Haruhi explained calmly. Although she did observe the large almost comical gulp Satoshi did before lowering his shinai and putting it up.

"Mommy, what are we going to do about this?" Tamaki ran to Kyoya.

"Nothing Daddy, Haruhi is right and Satoshi is here to show his brother support. There is a possibility of recruiting him for next year and it is not like anything said is really confidential. He already knows about Haruhi's secret," Kyoya said while typing in his laptop.

"He does?" Tamaki asked stupidly.

"Baka! She is dating my brother; of course I know that she is a girl!" Satoshi yelled.

"Oh, of course," Tamaki cried trying to hold it together, but soon ran to his corner to pout, "He yelled at me. He is so mean. Neighbor has mean siblings and mommy isn't doing anything about it. Daughter doesn't care."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Tamaki and decided to leave him alone until everyone else showed up. The next one to arrive was Hunny. He came bounding into the room towards Mori and Haruhi. Mori immediately got up and went to get him some cake while he settled in next to Satoshi, "What are you doing here?"

"I came for Taka and Haruhi," Satoshi smiled at his cousin.

"That is great! Isn't it Haru-Chan?" Hunny said excitedly. The others needed to understand that the family as a whole supported the couple.

Haruhi couldn't help but smile at her friend, "Yah, it is."

The twins finally arrived about five minutes later and sat down in a couple of chairs set apart from the group. They noticed Tamaki was in the corner again and Satoshi was sitting next to Hunny. Looking around the room, Chika was absent and wondered if Hunny had damaged him. Kaoru decided to ask, "Where is Chika?"

Satoshi narrowed his eyes and glared at the twins, "Yasuchika decided he had better things to do. Haruhi said I cannot punish him."

"That's right and if you do, I will find out Satoshi," Haruhi leered at him.

"I said I wouldn't do anything to him for this and I won't," Satoshi said defensively.

The twins laughed at the exchange. It seemed that Haruhi knew how to handle the younger brother of her boyfriend.

Kyoya looked up and told everyone to gather around the large table so that they could conduct their meeting and eat their lunches. He looked over in the corner noticing Tamaki had not moved, "Tamaki if you do not come over here and tell us what this meeting is about, we will all leave right now and I will personally make sure you never make a mistake like this again."

Tamaki heard the threat and immediately jumped up and ran over to the small table where he placed his lunch earlier before he went to hug Haruhi. He rushed over to the table and sat down on the opposite side of the table away from Kyoya, but unfortunately that placed him right next to Satoshi. Gulping, he decided the younger man was the lesser of two evils. Clearing his throat, he said, "I have called this meeting together of all of the hosts to show our support and congratulate Mori-senpai and Haruhi on their union."

Satoshi looked at his senpai and wanted to laugh. He thought to himself, _"He almost makes it sound like they got married. I mean yah, one day they probably will, but they aren't married yet. They aren't even engaged."_

"We want to say that we support you and we hope that you both will be happy together. We know that it did not start out the best, but we are here for you. You are our friends and we love you," Tamaki continued.

Haruhi sweat dropped and looked at Mori. He was also looking a little surprised at the reason for the meeting. Turning her head back to Tamaki, it looked like he wanted them to say something. She cleared her throat and said, "Thank you."

"Oh my God you are just so cute! You are so perfect! Daddy just loves you so much," Tamaki was immediately out of his chair and had Haruhi in his arms before Mori could react.

As soon as Haruhi was pulled out of her chair and in Tamaki's arms, Mori rescued her. He helped her back to her chair and glared at Tamaki sending him to his corner. "Are you alright?"

"Yah, you know how he is," Haruhi said softly to Mori. She raised her voice so that Tamaki could hear her, "Tamaki-senpai are we all going to finish this meeting and eat lunch together, or are you going to pout the rest of the lunch period?"

Tamaki made his way back to the table and once again sat down in his chair. He looked around the table and said, "That is basically all I wanted to say. Does anyone else want to say anything?"

Kaoru looked at Hikaru and grabbed his hand giving it a little squeeze. He really wanted his brother to say something, but didn't know if Hikaru was ready to take that step.

Hikaru looked at his brother and then at Haruhi and Mori. He didn't stand up, but he did hold tight to his brother's hand as he spoke, "I just wanted to say that I am sorry for what happened earlier. I know that you both really love each other and belong together."

He was so proud of his brother. Kaoru wanted to pat him on the back and tell him how proud he was of him. All of that would have to wait though, when they were away from everyone else. So for right now, he settled for a smile of encouragement and another squeeze on his brother's hand. Hikaru had just done one of the hardest things of his life and Kaoru was ecstatic that he was able to say what he had. It had not been easy to step back and let Mori have the girl, but Hikaru had done it.

"Thank you," Mori said softly. He still didn't like the fact that Hikaru had kissed Haruhi, but he understood where the younger man was coming from. He could only imagine how he would feel if roles were reversed.

"Yes, thank you Hikaru," Haruhi beamed. She was grateful to her friend for saying what he did. She knew that it was difficult for him and yet he did it for her. Silently wishing he would find his own joyfulness in the love department, she gave him a dazzling smile.

Hikaru saw the smile that brightened up Haruhi's face and knew that he did the right thing. His heart was broken, but he would pick up the pieces and move on. Haruhi was his first love, but she would not be his last. He was sure of that. Looking at his twin sitting next to him, he whispered, "Thank you for being there."

Kaoru heard Hikaru and whispered, "You're welcome. We have always been together and we always will be."


	16. Tickled

**A/N: Firstly… The voting has started for the Ouran High School Host Club Best Fan Fiction of 2012 and as stated before Another Chance has been nominated. Please vote for the story by going to www dot fanfiction dot net / s / 8979492/1/. You can find the posting to vote under the Ouran genre with the title Ouran High School Host Club Best FanFiction of 2012, or you can search for the author/originator of the posting: rephiamluvers123. You vote by either putting a review on that posting or by sending her a PM. Voting determines the winner… PLEASE VOTE FOR ANOTHER CHANCE! THANK YOU!**

**Secondly… I made a realization today as I started to write this chapter, there isn't much more to go. A little sad to see it ending soon, but happy because I have a lot of stories I want to write for you. Since this story and Moving On (one of my Twilight stories) are ending shortly, I will start to post Still Assuming (sequel for Never Assume) by the end of the week regardless if the stories are finished completely or not. I hope you enjoy it as much as the original. Enjoy this next chapter of Haruhi's Bitter Days and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 16 - Tickled

"Hey Haruhi!" Satoshi yelled at the girl from across the room. He had started to make his way out of the music room so that he could make it to his next class on time when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

Haruhi looked up when she heard the younger man bellow and shook her head, a smiled plastered on her face. Satoshi was so energetic and loud, she found herself wondering if he ran on energizer batteries. Instead of walking towards him though, she decided to yell back, "Hey Satoshi!"

Satoshi immediately started to laugh at Haruhi's attempt to be as loud as him. Although he admitted that she had gotten better since she had been around him, she was still not up to par with him. Running up to her side, he said, "You still have a long way to go grasshopper."

Looking at the teen standing in front of her and attempting to hold in his laughter was the nail in the coffin for her, and she started to laugh hard and loud drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. She tried to stifle her laughs for a minute as she brought her hands together and bowed, "I will aspire to beat the master." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was giggling again.

Ruffling her hair, Satoshi said, "You will never beat this master!" The friendly banter continued between the two of them for a few more minutes as the hilarity escalated.

The two teens had caught the attention of the other hosts as soon as Satoshi had stopped his progression out of the club room and yelled at Haruhi. They were curious about what her reaction would be and were surprised to see her yell back. As the two of them continued, it became more and more of a spectacle the others could not turn away from.

Mori and Hunny were used to this kind of teasing between Satoshi and Haruhi because as Haruhi grew more comfortable around Mori's family, she and Satoshi had grown closer and started to joke more. It still tickled them to see and could no more turn away from the sight than the others in the room could. Mori was smiling and Hunny was giggling at the exchange between the two friends.

The others seemed to be a little more shocked than Mori and Hunny, well ok a lot. They had never really seen Haruhi act like that with anyone. It was a testament about how close she had really gotten with her boyfriend's family. Tamaki eyes were wide and jaw was open. The twins had their arms wrapped around each other and the surprise was evident in their wide eyes, however, they were a little more composed than Tamaki seemed to be. They briefly turned their eyes to their king and found him frozen. Kyoya was jotting down notes in his black book. No doubt he was going to be adding information to dossiers he kept on everyone.

Tamaki snapped out of it first, "How dare you talk to my daughter like that!" Running up to Haruhi, he pulled her into his arms before turning to look at Mori, "Are you just going to let your brother talk to your girlfriend like that? If that is how you are going to treat her, you are not allowed to date my daughter!"

Haruhi was struggling for air and freedom. She couldn't seem to budge from her place in Tamaki's hug as much as she pushed and slapped at him. In another second she was gasping for much needed air and looked up to see the back of her boyfriend. _"Takashi to the rescue again. I wonder how many this is now… 50 or 60?" _Haruhi thought to herself and found she was once again trying to stifle her giggles.

"She isn't your daughter and she can date who she wants. They were joking like they usually do. Satoshi would not do anything to harm Haruhi and if he did, he would answer to me," Mori declared.

"That's right! She is too much like a sister. I would never harm her. Besides, if you were really listening, you would have heard her give as good as she got!" Satoshi came to stand right next to his brother.

"But Haruhi is precious and you should never talk to a lady like that!" Tamaki exclaimed. He was trying to reason with the two brothers. Mori alone could be intimidating, but standing with his brother, made Tamaki's knees shake slightly. _"It doesn't matter that she was yelling back. Someone has to defend my precious baby girl!" _Tamaki said to himself trying to bolster his resolve.

"I have to say boss, I think they are right," Kaoru said watching from his place next to Hikaru.

"You might have overreacted a bit Tono," Hikaru added. He turned to his twin with a sly look on his face. It was a grin that the other hosts were very familiar with and if Tamaki had been paying attention, would have made him run far away as fast as possible, "You know what this is Kaoru?"

Kaoru picked up on the look and the tone of voice and matched his expression to his twin. He knew exactly where Hikaru was going with this and it just meant they could torture their king a little bit, "Yes, I do Hikaru."

"Tono wants to steal Haruhi from Mori-senpai," Hikaru's grin widened.

"To keep her for himself as a love slave," Kaoru added.

"Such a pervert!" The twins said together and started to laugh when Tamaki responded by sputtering and running for his corner.

Haruhi sighed and looked at her two best friends. They knew exactly what buttons to push for Tamaki and got some sort of sick amusement out of torturing him. She might not admit it, but she did enjoy watching the show sometimes. "You guys did that on purpose," Haruhi smirked.

"Why would you think that?" The twins asked together trying to appear innocent, trying and failing.

"Gee I wonder why," she muttered as she watched the twins make their way over to Tamaki's corner to continue their teasing.

"Are you ok Haruhi?" Satoshi turned around and asked the girl behind his brother's back.

"Yah, this is normal," replied Haruhi. She turned her attention to her boyfriend and said, "Thanks for saving me again."

Mori only response was to say, "Ah." He then picked up her hand and kissed it before ruffling her hair.

Haruhi could always find herself getting lost in Mori's gaze. It took someone shaking her shoulder for her to snap out of it, and when she turned to look, Satoshi was looking at her with laughter in his eyes, "What?"

"I was trying to tell you something, but you spaced out yet again," Satoshi chuckled. He knew that Haruhi and his brother sometimes lost themselves to their own little world and it took action to draw them out of it.

Leering at her friend, she said, "What?"

"The reason I came back is because Chika wanted me to make sure that you were coming to the dojo after club today," Satoshi said simply. Today started her karate lessons and Chika was first up.

"Oh, I forgot about that. Yes, I will be there," Haru smiled. She was anxious to get started and already knew that Chika was patient and could teach her; well… as long as his brother wasn't there.

Mori had remembered about her lessons today, but Haruhi was tired due to lack of sleep and that bothered him. When you were not focused, you made mistakes and mistakes in Karate could lead to injury, "Are you sure? You didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Yah, I will be fine. I got some sleep this morning and I feel better. If I feel too tired, I will ask Chika to cut it short," Haruhi said. She knew that Mori was worried about her, but this was something she felt she had to do.

"Ok," Mori exhaled. He had a kendo meeting tonight, and since she was going to be using the dojo at the Haninozuka estate, he would not be there to keep an eye on her. Turning to his brother, he said, "Watch her. She missed morning classes because she was too tired and fell asleep."

Satoshi had not realized and gave his brother a nod, "I will." He looked at the girl standing next to his brother, "Chika and I will pick you up after club time and you can ride with us."

"Sounds good, thank you Satoshi!" Haruhi said smiling at the teen.

Looking down at his watching, he yelled, "Aieeeee! I am going to be late. I will see you later!" He ran out of the music room and high tailed it back to the middle school with his brother and Haruhi laughing in his wake.

"Sato-Chan can be so intense he forgets about other things sometimes," Hunny said laughing as he walked up to the couple.

Haruhi was still laughing herself, "You can say that again."

"He is a good kid," Mori said praising his brother.

"Yes, he is," Haruhi agreed and noticed that Hunny was nodding his head also.

"Well that was interesting," Hikaru said as he once more approached the couple.

"I'll say. I never expected to see that side of you Haruhi," Kaoru smirked.

"We think even Tono was shocked," they said together. Everyone's eyes moved over to where Tamaki was still in his corner pouting with a circle of mushrooms surrounding him. An air of amusement hung in the air.

"It is hard not to joke around with Satoshi when he gets started," Haruhi explained.

"She is right. Sato-Chan knows how to have fun and draw other people into it. Even Chika-Chan has a hard time resisting him when others are not around," Hunny smiled. Chika seemed to be able to ignore Satoshi's playfulness when he was around, but when it was just Chika and Satoshi, Chika tended to let his guard down a little more and get pulled into the fun. His brother was still strict, but he knew when to let go and when to fight.

"Really? We find that one hard to believe," Hikaru and Kaoru exclaimed.

"It's true," Mori said quietly.

The twins looked up at the giant next to them with surprised looks on their faces, "Really?"

"Really. Chika is a good guy, you just have to know how to reach him," Haruhi explained.

The twins looked at each other and then moved up to Haruhi. They couldn't place themselves on each side of her, but they could get in front of her and get their faces as close as they could to hers, "Do you know how to draw him out?"

"We are friends, but Satoshi is the best one at being able to reach Chika," she said seriously.

Everyone around her face palmed. She just didn't get the joke, and although Mori didn't appreciate the joke, even he had to face palm after her comment.

Looking at the time, she said, "I have to run to the library before I go to class. I will see all of you later." She stood on her toes as Mori bent down at little, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. After giving Hunny a hug, she walked out of the room and made her way to the library. She felt relieved and her burden lighter now that her closest friends knew that she and Mori were together. Although it had started a little rough, it ended well and she could only hope that it stayed like that since she was happy in her relationship.

"She is still so naive," Kaoru said shaking his head after the door closed behind the only female host.

Hikaru couldn't agree more, "Clueless about some things."

"Good luck Mori-senpai," they said together looking at their fellow host and gave him two thumbs up.

A hint of a smile passed across Mori's face, but the twins missed it. Yes, Haruhi was still a little oblivious at times, but he wouldn't have her any other way. It made things interesting at times and he wondered if she would ever lose her ignorance. _"Maybe one day," _he laughed to himself.


	17. Brotherly Love

**A/N: I am glad that everyone liked the interaction between Satoshi and Haruhi. When I was thinking about what to write in the last chapter, I felt like I needed to show more of the relationship between Haruhi and Mori's family so we could really see how close she and Mori have really gotten. Of course Tamaki being who he is and the overprotective "daddy" figure of the host club (well towards Haruhi), he would not have liked Satoshi messing with his daughter. LOL! If you do like the interaction, due to a request from mtnikolle, I will be starting a story with the pairing of Satoshi/Haruhi (very excited about this story and pairing request!). As for this story, there are probably only a couple more chapters to go before it wraps up. **

**On another note… For those of you interested, the sequel for Never Assume, entitled Still Assuming, will start to be published no later than tomorrow. I have two stories that are about to wrap up, so I have decided to start posting that story. I am also in the process of revising Never Assume to get rid of grammatical errors and such. I am not changing the story, but it will flow a little better now. Back Off, She's Mine has also been revised so that it flows a little better and to fix errors. If you have not voted for Another Chance and would like to, please vote. Yes, I will beg. :D Enjoy the new chapter of Haruhi's Bitter Days.**

Chapter 17 – Brotherly Love

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Haruhi's shoulders as she made her way through the rest of the school day. She was afraid of losing all of her friends and facing life without their antics isn't something she wanted to look forward to. She had psyched herself up and had been prepared to do just that when her friends in a last moment of, well whatever it was, decided to accept her relationship with Mori. It had never been a question of who she would choose because she knew that in a contest between the hosts and her boyfriend, she would have chosen Mori every time.

Making her way once again to the music room, she was about to open the door when she was intercepted and dragged away from the club room. She tried to scream, but it was no use since a hand was covering her mouth preventing nothing more than muffled sounds to burst forth. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her captors and glared. Hikaru and Kaoru each had possession of one of her arms and was dragging her to God only knew where. Hikaru was the one covering her mouth and she decided she would try to escape by biting his finger. It didn't work; she couldn't quite get a grasp of anything with her teeth.

"Uh uh uh, Haruhi. No biting," Hikaru chortled looking at her before facing front again.

"Yah, Haruhi, this is for your own good," Kaoru grinned.

The twins were up to something and Haruhi could not fathom what it could be. She only knew that she was in some sort of trouble and when she could, she would make sure the twins felt her wrath. _"What is going on here? I thought they supported my decision to be with Takashi. I am going to kill them!" _She fumed internally.

"Do you have the blindfold?" Kaoru asked looking at his brother.

"Right here," Hikaru said and soon Haruhi's world was black.

It felt like someone was picking her up and carrying her, but Haruhi could not figure out who it was or where they were going. She felt her captor(s) take some turns, but she didn't know where they were headed since Ouran could be a maze of halls and she was still learning the campus. Deciding to bide her time and then strike, she waited and waited and waited until they finally put her down. When the blindfold was removed, she looked around. They were in the gardens and it looked like a garden party was about to start. Turning around, she faced her kidnappers and found the twins and Tamaki. The third demon was making an appearance. "What the hell is this?" She seethed.

All three yelped and the twins tried to hide behind their "fearless" leader. Tamaki decided that it was his job to explain everything, "Now Haruhi, daddy was just making sure you made it to our host club party without getting lost. I didn't want mommy to be mad at you for being late."

"So you grab me, blindfold me, and drag me against my will in order to make it to the host club on time?" Haruhi raged. She was getting more irritated by the moment. Suddenly she felt a pair of hands land on her shoulders and immediately calmed down. She knew those hands and found herself taking a deep breath before continuing, "Whatever. I don't know why you couldn't just tell me that the host club was not meeting in the music room today and I sure as hell don't know why you had to drag me here the way you did."

The three hosts were amazed at the abrupt change in Haruhi as soon as Mori touched her. The third demon's aura had been encompassing her and they all thought for sure that they were about to take their last breaths. When Mori placed his hands on her shoulders, they could tell she was still mad but the demon aura had receded and they knew they were safe.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other and then back to their friend. If they needed further proof about who she was supposed to be with, they just received it. It seemed that not only could Mori handle Hunny at his worst, he was able to pacify Haruhi with just a touch when she was at her worst. Staring wide eyed at their friend, they both said, "Sorry, but we were told to bring you here and not tell you the location."

"And who told you to do that?" Haruhi asked, but face palmed knowing that it was probably Tamaki and his need to "protect" his daughter from harm. She had no clue why he did some of the things he did, but she was learning to accept them as just the way life works.

"Tono," the twins said pointing to the silent blonde that was starting to curl himself into a tight ball.

Tamaki was trying to escape detection because he did not want his daughter mad at him. When the twins ratted him out, he immediately jumped up and ran for her to pull her into his arms. Crying he said, "Daddy is sorry! I didn't mean to scare you; I was just trying to help you!"

Yep, it was just how Tamaki's mind worked and Haruhi was convinced she would never understand it. She felt herself being pulled out of Tamaki's embrace almost instantaneously and was placed behind Mori's back once again. This was beginning to become a habit, no scratch that, it became a habit a long time ago. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Whatever, let's just get ready for the club to open."

"I couldn't agree more Haruhi. The ladies will be here soon," Kyoya leered at the small group in front of him.

Tamaki straightened himself out and said, "Yes, we need to get ready for the princesses."

Everyone rolled their eyes at him and shook their heads. He could go from one extreme to the next and always left his friends guessing what he would do next.

Host club went smoothly and soon it was time for it to come to a close. When the ladies left and everything had been cleaned up, Haruhi left to find Satoshi and Chika. It was time to start her training. She found them easy enough; they were walking away from the music room wondering where everyone was. It wasn't until she spoke up that they realized they had an audience to their musings. Smiling at her friends, she said, "Sorry guys. It turns out that we had a garden party today and weren't in the music room."

"That's ok. Are you ready to go?" Satoshi asked as he walked up to Haruhi and ruffled her hair much like his brother would do.

"Yep, since I was kidnapped before I put my stuff up, I had my bag with me," Haruhi bluntly stated.

Chika's face started to scowl at her last statement, "Kidnapped?"

Haruhi chuckled, "Yah apparently no one told me that the location of the host club's session had changed today. So someone got the bright idea to grab me and blindfold me, dragging me to the new location."

Fists forming at his sides, Chika knew who the culprit probably was, "Let me guess, it was that moron Suoh."

"Let it go Chika. Why don't we get out of here before they show up?" Satoshi said trying to calm down his best friend.

"Where were Mitsukuni and Takashi?" Chika glared.

"In the garden, they didn't know what Tamaki and the twins were up to," Haruhi answered. Chika had issues with his brother and it was apparent that Chika believed they should have been there to help her out of her situation.

Chika took a deep breath. He knew that no one could really predict or control Tamaki and his plans, but he would make sure that Haruhi could take Tamaki and the twins down if needed. Smirking he said, "Let's go."

Haruhi wasn't sure about the looked that crossed Chika's face, but she knew better than to argue right now. Something told her that Tamaki was going to get it if he didn't watch out and she almost felt sorry for him. Turning around and following her friends out of the school building and into the waiting car, she wondered what Chika had planned for the host club king.

When they arrived at Chika's house, all three teens went to the dojo and changed. Haruhi didn't have a gi, so she was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt. Chika and Satoshi changed into their gi and then all three met in the large empty room.

"We will get you a gi so that you can wear that during our training sessions," Chika said when they assembled.

"I think Taka already ordered you one, but not sure if he has it or not," Satoshi stated. He knew that his brother had special ordered a gi for Haruhi, but he wasn't sure what it looked like or anything. He wasn't even sure why she needed a special one, since a plain one would do just as well, but he didn't question his brother. There was a reason for everything Mori did.

"Really?" Haruhi asked hesitantly. She didn't understand why Mori would order her a special gi or even order one for her period, but since he wasn't there, she could not question him about it.

"Yah, but don't give him a hard time about it. He really wanted to do this for you," Satoshi pleaded. He knew how she could be and did not want her to argue with his brother about something this simple.

Smirking, Haruhi said, "Ok, I will give him a pass on this one."

"Good, now that we have that taken care of, can we get started or do we need to talk fashion and relationships some more?" Chika leered.

Haruhi and Satoshi knew and understood their friend. He wasn't as harsh as he came across to most people and was actually very likeable. Haruhi had even found out that he had a weakness for cute things like his brother, but unlike Hunny it was not related to bunnies. It was all about the baby chicks. Smiling, Haruhi said, "Let's get started. I need to be able to defend myself from morons and bad guys." That statement earned her a snigger from both boys because they knew exactly who she had in mind when she said it.

They started with the basics tonight and Chika found that Haruhi seemed to pick up on things fairly easily. When he corrected her, she would fix the problem and continue without question. When they were done with their "class" the three friends sat down in the middle of the floor and Chika started a surprising line of questioning, "Did you like growing up without any siblings?"

Haruhi's eyes widened. She never expected that question from the younger man. Thinking about it for a second, she said, "It was all I ever knew, but sometimes I wanted to have a brother or sister to play with, to know that I wasn't alone. I mean I had my dad and I took care of him, but he works a lot to make sure that I have everything I need. Having someone else there would have been nice."

Chika nodded. He didn't always hate his brother, but growing up the way they did led to a lot of fights and eventually a rift formed between them. He could remember when they were younger though, Hunny would help him with his technique or they would play a game of tag together. Chika was never alone, "Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be an only child, but then I think that I would not be as determined or as advanced as I am if it wasn't for my competition with Mitsukuni. He helps me to be a better fighter."

"I can see that. You know your brother loves you and really wants you to be happy," Haruhi said looking at Chika with a reflective look on her face.

Satoshi was listening to the exchange with interest. He knew that it was not something that was easy for Chika to admit or talk about. Smiling at his friends, he was proud of Chika for finally admitting that he appreciated his brother. He had a long way to go, but this was a good start.

"I know he does, but I cannot accept his way of life or the fact that he left his values behind," Chika said defensively.

"Why do you think he left his values behind just because he decided to fully embrace who he really was? It takes strength of character to stand up for yourself and walk a different path than the one you are told you have to follow. He still practices his martial arts and he is true to himself. Tamaki-senpai may be a lot of things, but he was right about that one," Haruhi stated blunt as ever.

"I think she is right," Satoshi muttered. He hated to admit that Tamaki might be right about something, especially after today, but he had to agree with Haruhi.

"Think about it this way… when you study martial arts, it is about mind, body, and soul. Am I right?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes you are," Chika replied wondering where she was going with this.

"If you are so focused on trying to fight your natural instincts, you cannot be one with your mind, body, and soul. Your chi will be blocked. What happens when you try to go against the flow of water or when you try to fight and your mind is elsewhere?" Haruhi explained.

A light bulb went off in Chika's head, "You will eventually lose the fight and fall."

"I think it is the same for your brother. Being true to yourself makes you a stronger person," Haruhi said softly. She knew that she had given Chika a lot to think about.

Nodding, Chika had to agree with Haruhi. He wasn't completely ready to just embrace his brother and his lifestyle, but Chika could understand his brother's position a little more clearly now. Instead of verbally agreeing with her though, he said, "Maybe."

"MAYBE? Is that all you are willing to concede?" Satoshi yelled at his friend and pulled out a shinai from who knows where.

"Put that thing away!" Haruhi screamed at the teen holding the bamboo weapon about to wield it against his cousin.

"He needs some sense knocked into him," Satoshi said as he advanced towards Chika.

Haruhi stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Satoshi Morinozuka if you do not put that stick away right now, I will get one of your brother's shinai and use it on you!"

Turning around and looking at his brother's girlfriend, he could tell she was serious, "But he needs to learn that he should look up to his brother!"

"That is going to take time and you hitting him in the head is not going to help him. Put that stupid thing away," Haruhi exclaimed and moved towards the youngest Morinozuka taking the shinai away from him before he could hit his best friend.

"Haruhi," Satoshi whined.

"Now you are sounding like that baka in the host club," Chika leered teasing his cousin.

"Do not compare me to that moron! Do you know what he did today?" Satoshi yelled and proceeded to tell Chika everything that happened during the lunch hour.

Haruhi sat back down, setting the shinai next to her and listened to Satoshi rant about the events that happened today. She soon found herself yawning and her mind wandering. She was pulled back into the here and now when she heard Chika yelling.

"I can't believe him! Well actually it shouldn't surprise me at all. It isn't like we aren't friends and joke around!" Chika fumed.

"Will you two calm down? Give them a little leeway here, they just found out about Takashi and me yesterday. I think they are still reeling from the fact that we have been together over four months and they are just finding out about it. So our little teasing session today, was probably a little shocking," Haruhi stated yawning again.

Both young men looked at her and could see the tiredness in her eyes. Satoshi spoke up first, "Are you tired? Do you want to go lie down or go home and go to bed?"

Haruhi was about to answer when Hunny bounded into the dojo and threw himself at the girl to hug her, "Haru-Chan, how did the first workout go?"

Noticing the glare Chika sent towards his brother, she rolled her eyes and told herself that it would just take time, baby steps. She couldn't help but yawn again when she said, "It was good."

"Are you still tired Haru-Chan?" Hunny asked narrowing his eyes on his friend.

"A little, but now that we have everything taken care of, I think I will sleep a lot better tonight," Haruhi answered honestly.

"Do you want to stay here? I know my parents won't mind," Hunny asked.

"I think I would just rather go home if you don't mind. I still have to make something for dinner," she explained.

"My parents are expecting you to stay for dinner. That is why I came out here, to tell you three that dinner is ready. We will make you a bento so that you can take it home to your father for his supper and you won't have to worry about cooking. Ok?" Hunny said giving her the puppy dog eyes that were so hard to resist.

Sighing, Haruhi finally yielded, "Ok, I will stay for dinner."

"Great, you go change out of your workout clothes and we will wait for you. Chika, Satoshi, you better change too," Hunny said smiling. He watched the three younger teens walk towards the changing rooms and beamed. Unbeknownst to the three of them, Hunny had listened to the whole conversation they had about inner strength. He had actually arrived to watch the last part of Haruhi's training session, and now he hoped that Chika understood why he had to do what he did and prayed that Chika could find his own strength to be who he really is.


	18. Special and Wise, A Good Combo

**A/N: You still have a chance to vote for Another Chance for best of Ouran 2012 if you haven't voted yet. Ok, now to move on to business. Thank you everyone for your reviews and support. I really love writing about Haruhi and the other relationships that she has developed through her relationship with Mori. It just makes sense to me that more than her relationship with Mori would grow when she is dating him. I love the fact that you agree and look forward to those chapters. Enjoy this next chapter and please review if you can.**

**And if you have not seen it yet the sequel to Never Assume, entitled Still Assuming is up. You will be able to see parts of Never Assume through Chika's perspective, Chika and Haruhi have to deal with the host club, and now they also have to contend with the school. Trust me when I say, assumptions will be plentiful and hopefully the couple can survive. **

Chapter 18 – Special and Wise, A Good Combo

Haruhi entered her apartment and sagged against the door. She was finally home. Although she loved spending time with the Haninozuka and the Morinozuka families, today she was beyond exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Thankfully she did not have to cook for her father since Hunny's mother had sent her home with enough food to feed at least three people. At least she would have enough food left over for her lunch bento the next day.

She was about to push herself away from the door and move into the kitchen when she was propelled forward and landed on the floor. Turning back to see what happened, Haruhi found her father standing at the door looking rather sheepish. Groaning she laid there for a minute before she felt her father trying to lift her up from the floor.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry Haruhi! I didn't know you were there. I thought the door was sticking when it wouldn't open at first and so I shouldered it so that I could open the door. I didn't know you were standing there! Forgive me! Are you alright? Did you hit your head? Do I need to take to you to the hospital? Speak to me!" Ranka gushed once again reminding his daughter about why she didn't flinch when she was around Tamaki.

Getting off of the floor, Haruhi shook her head at her father and rolled her eyes, "I would answer you if you give me a moment. I am fine. I don't need the hospital and I did not hit my head. I just got home and had shut the door and leaned against it for a moment when you opened it. I am just tired after a long day at school and then karate practice with Chika and Satoshi."

Ranka looked his daughter over very closely. She was precious to him and he would make sure nothing ever happened to her. Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, he could not find anything else wrong with her. Finally smiling and assured that she was not going to die on him, he said, "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed and I will make me something for dinner."

"You don't have to. I ate dinner at Hunny and Chika's house and Mrs. Haninozuka sent me home with enough food for your dinner and my lunch tomorrow. Here," she explained as she handed the bag holding the containers of food out for him to take. Hopefully it wasn't a huge mess after her nose dive.

"That was so nice of her! You will have to be sure to thank you next time you see her!" Ranka exclaimed as he pulled his daughter into a crushing embrace.

"I need some oxygen," Haruhi muttered and took in a deep breath with her father released her. He and Tamaki were too much alike for her comfort sometimes. "I already thanked her, but I will make sure to thank her again when I see her. I am going to go to bed. Just put the left overs in the fridge for me and I will make my bento in the morning. Good night."

"Good night Haruhi!" Ranka smiled as he pulled a plate down from the cupboard. He watched Haruhi trudge to her room and shut the door. _"She is growing up so fast Kotoko. She has a wonderful boyfriend and really good friends. You would be so proud of her. I hope whatever was bothering her has resolved itself though so that she can sleep tonight. You know how she gets when she is stressed; it is hard for her to sleep." _Ranka said to himself. He still liked to talk to his deceased wife. It made him feel closer to her, almost like she was still there giving him a sense of peace. Finishing with his dinner preparations, he placed the remaining food in the refrigerator and walked into the living room to eat at the table. He smiled to himself, Haruhi was becoming more and more like her mother every day.

Once Haruhi entered her room, she sent a quick text to Mori saying that she was home and going to sleep, and immediately lay down. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was dead to the world and did not rejoin civilization until her alarm clock started to go off in the morning.

Opening one eye, Haruhi looked at the time on the clock. She knew she had to get up to get ready to go to school, but that did not mean that she liked it or wanted to move from her futon. If she could have, she would have thrown the clock across the room and closed her eyes again, but she couldn't and she was not Kyoya. Instead she sighed and got up from her bed in order to get ready for school.

Haruhi had just finished making her lunch when there was a soft knock at the door. She wasn't sure who it was, but it had to be someone that knew her father could possibly still be sleeping and that left only a couple of people: Mori and Kyoya. She knew that the shadow king would not be picking her up without just cause and would have called first, so it had to be her boyfriend. Smiling she answered the door and was immediately glomped by a bunny loving short senior. She chuckled and looked up to see her boyfriend with a grin on his face, "Good morning you two."

Knowing he needed to stay quiet, Hunny whispered, "Good morning Haru-Chan!" He let her go and went to stand next to the sink in order to let his cousin enter the apartment.

"Morning. Did you sleep ok?" Mori asked looking her over. The dark circles looked lighter and she looked a lot more awake than she had the day before.

"I slept a lot better! I will be honest, my alarm went off entirely too early and I wouldn't mind a couple more hours of sleep, but I am functional today," Haruhi smirked before putting her arms around her boyfriend's neck and pulling him down for a small kiss. "Do you two want some tea?"

"That would be great!" Hunny beamed. Mori had wanted to get to Haruhi's early in order to pick her up for school, so they did not have to leave just yet and he knew his cousin would want to spend some extra time with Haruhi before they had to act like they were not together while at school.

"Yes, thank you," Mori said smiling.

Walking over to the stove, she turned it on so that she could boil the water and then turned to the two cousins, "So what are you doing here? I thought I told you I would take the train today since I needed to get there earlier than you."

"Didn't you get my text last night?" Mori asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, after I sent you the text saying that I made it home, I went to sleep and haven't looked at my phone since," Haruhi explained.

"I told you that we would pick you up today and make sure you got to school early. I wanted to know that you were ok after yesterday and weren't going to fall asleep on the train."

"Oh, sorry, I was so tired last night that I didn't even think about the fact you might respond," Haruhi chuckled a little. She had been dead on her feet last night when she finally crossed the threshold of her apartment.

Shaking his head, Mori said, "I know, and that is the reason we are here early. Are you sure you are alright? How do you feel after your training?"

"I am ok. A little tired still, but it is nothing like yesterday. As for training, my muscles are a bit sore from the workout, but not painful," she said as she walked up to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his chest, "I just have to get used to working out. I am fine and awake today, so stop worrying."

Leaning down and kissing the top of her head, Mori smiled. This was the girl he fell in love with, "Ok, you win. I will stop worrying."

As she stepped back away from Mori in order to prepare the tea, she grinned at him, "Save the worrying for Tamaki. Since I am learning karate, he may find himself on the floor." Haruhi started to laugh at the shocked looks on her comrades' faces, "It was a joke, well for now it is." She watched as the mirth started to overtake the other two teens and soon they were all laughing.

The trio arrived at the school and Mori walked Haruhi to her classroom while Hunny went to gather his books from his locker. Once Mori had escorted her to the right room, he left her to make his way to his own classroom. As he walked down the corridors that would lead him to his destination, he could not help but think about how Haruhi had become so important to him in such a short period of time. In the time since he has known her, and especially since they have been dating, she has ensconced herself in his heart and the hearts of his family members. Haruhi had a way about her and he didn't think she understood the magic that happened when she was around. He never thought he would see Hunny and Chika attempting to get along in order to teach her karate, even his own brother seemed respond to her. She was truly special.

Mori thought back to the night before. Satoshi had arrived home after eating dinner with his cousin and proceeded to tell Mori all about the karate lesson with Haruhi. The next words out of his mouth stunned him to no end. Chika had asked Haruhi about being an only child and had admitted that Hunny made him a better fighter. Mori doesn't always show his emotions and is known for his stoicism, but last night his draw dropped open, the surprise he felt very apparent. He further shocked by what his brother then reported to him. By the end of the conversation, he had a new appreciation for Haruhi and her understanding of people. Only she would think to use martial arts to teach Chika a lesson about life. Mori chuckled to himself, _"Well she is at the top of her class for a reason."_

"What is so funny?" Hunny asked suddenly appearing at his cousin's side.

"Huh? Oh I was thinking," Mori answered with an almost imperceptible grin.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Haruhi," Mori said as if that explained anything and everything to his shorter cousin.

Hunny shook his head grinning before suddenly turning serious, "Oh I forgot to tell you what happened last night!"

"Satoshi told me everything," Mori said as he ruffled Hunny's hair.

"So he told you that she did great and then the conversation afterwards?"

"Yes," Mori responded and looked down towards the man standing next to him, "Are you alright? How do you feel about what she said?" Chika could sometimes be a hard subject for Hunny, and Mori knew that Hunny really wanted acceptance from his little brother.

Looking thoughtful, Hunny turned a smiling face up to his cousin, "I feel really good and was happy that she said what she did. I hope Chika-Chan understands why I did what I did now, at least a little better. I was surprised when she asked him about the mind, body, and spirit, and then knew what would happen if your chi was blocked. Only she would come up with something like that, but she is right."

"Yes, she is. She is a very bright woman."

Hunny giggled, "She is that. Sometimes she is so in tune and can read people without any problems, but then when it comes to herself, she is completely clueless."

"She is getting better," Mori stated as one side of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Haru-Chan is getting a lot better since she has been with you. I think you make all of the difference Takashi!" Hunny declared as he started to bounce around excitedly.

Mori gave him a full genuine smile and nodded. He hoped that he was making as much of a difference in her life as she was in his life. Straightening his features again, he said, "Let's get to class."

"Ok Takashi!" Hunny beamed and together they finished the rest of their journey to their first period classroom.

The rest of the day passed by quickly and soon it was time for the host club to convene for the day. Haruhi was running a few minutes late and stormed into the music room out of breath. As soon as the burst in, she wished she had been a lot quieter. Tamaki was carrying on as usual about his missing daughter, the twins were teasing him, and all three heads turned in her direction as one.

"Haruhi! You're alright!" Tamaki shrieked and ran up to her pulling her into his arms.

"I need oxygen," she whispered having a very real sense of déjà vu.

"Boss, you might want to let her go," Hikaru said trying to pry one of Tamaki's arms away from his friend.

"She is turning blue," Kyoya observed while trying to pull the other arm away.

Soon all three were bereft of a certain female host and looked around finding Mori shaking his head at them. Haruhi was behind him and safe once again.

"Sorry Mori-senpai, you know how Tono gets! We tried to help," the twins said in unison.

At the same time, Tamaki cried, "You didn't have to do that! I was just saying hello to my beloved daughter. I know you are dating her, but I am her daddy and you can't just keep her from me."

"You are not my father," Haruhi stated bluntly before moving towards the kitchen to get ready for club time.

Tamaki screamed and then ran to his corner saying, "My daughter is so mean and her boyfriend won't let me hug her."

Mori just shook his head again. This was the same as it was every day and he didn't think it was going to change anytime soon. That was ok though, his friends had accepted the relationship and everything was back to normal. Now if he could come up with something that would teach Tamaki that oxygen was essential for life, things would be perfect. He smirked inwardly, there just may be a way to do that and Haruhi would be the key.


	19. Mori Has a Plan

**A/N: I was actually going to be wrapping up this story with this chapter or the next, but an idea popped into my head, ergo the ending of the previous chapter. I am sure you don't mind, but this will continue for a few more chapters before I will be wrapping it up and putting it to bed. Enjoy the new chapter and if you can please review. **

**Also, if you haven't voted, please vote for Another Chance for Best Ouran FanFiction of 2012. Thank you!**

Chapter 19 – Mori has a Plan

Sitting down and releasing a deep breath, Haruhi relaxed into the couch she was occupying and closed her eyes for a minute. Club had just finished for the day, and Tamaki had just decided that all of the members needed to stay afterward in order to have a meeting. She wasn't sure what it could possibly be about; she just wanted to go home. There was homework to finish, and she was still tired due to lack of sleep the night before. Feeling the couch sag on her right side, she opened her eyes and looked up, Mori was sitting right next to her and she decided it was the perfect opportunity to snuggle into his side.

Mori felt the weight of his girlfriend leaning into his side and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. He knew she was still tired and hoped that Tamaki's meeting wouldn't last too long since he wanted to get her home so she could sleep. Looking over at his cousin, he could tell that Hunny was thinking the same thing.

"Tama-Chan, what did you want to talk about?" Hunny asked their club president.

Tamaki was bouncing around excitedly, "I am so glad you asked that Hunny-senpai! I have decided that we will take a vacation together in two weeks!"

"No," said Haruhi simply and bluntly.

"But Haruhi, we have to go as a family," Tamaki whined.

"I am not sure what planet you are living on senpai, but the last vacation didn't turn out that great. So why would I want to go on another with you? You can count me out," Haruhi glared at him.

Tamaki was dumbstruck and staring at her with an open mouth. It took a couple of minutes before he could speak, "As your father, you have to go with us. We are going on a vacation together!"

Clutching her fists in her lap, Haruhi sat up straight and said, "No, I am not going on vacation with you. Besides you probably want to go somewhere that requires a passport, and I haven't gotten one yet."

"Mommy our daughter is being difficult!" Tamaki cried and clutched Kyoya's side.

Sighing, Kyoya knew that this was going to happen. He tried to discourage Tamaki from even thinking about a vacation, but it had been impossible. Once an idea entered Tamaki's mind, the king tended to get so wrapped up in it that he would not listen to reason. Pushing Tamaki off of him, he stared down Haruhi, "I will cut your debt by 30%." He knew that bringing up the debt could convince her of going on this vacation. Really, he was only trying to convince her so that Tamaki would give him some peace. If she didn't go, his best friend would be impossible to deal with over the next couple of weeks.

Groaning, Haruhi knew that it was now a strong possibility that she was going to be joining them on vacation. She looked up at Mori who was staring at her with worried eyes and smiled at him. As long as he was there, she could survive. "Where are you planning on going and how long are you planning on being gone?" Haruhi inquired. She wanted the facts before she agreed to anything.

Tamaki flew to where she was seated and pulled her into his arms, spinning her around the room. "Yay, I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from your daddy!"

"Put me down! I didn't say I was going! I just want all of the information before I agree to go anywhere! PUT ME DOWN TAMAKI-SENPAI!" Haruhi yelled.

Mori shook his head and got up off of the couch. He should have been able to stop Tamaki from getting to Haruhi before he grabbed her, but it had happened so fast and he had been paying more attention to her than the approaching Tamaki. Pulling her out of Tamaki's arms, he set her behind him and then scowled at Tamaki.

"Mori-senpai! I was just embracing her because she decided to go on vacation with us. You didn't have to do that!" Tamaki bravely stated.

"She didn't say she was going. She was asking questions," Mori explained before ushering Haruhi back to her place on the couch and anchoring her to his side.

"Mommy the neighbor is molesting our daughter!" Tamaki cried as he ran to Kyoya's side.

"He is not molesting her, you were molesting her. She is his girlfriend, so it is natural for his arm to be around her. Behave Tamaki or I will pull the plug on this whole vacation idea you have!" Kyoya growled as he pushed up his glasses creating a glare.

Tamaki yelped and immediately sat down in his chair. He composed himself and then said, "We will be leaving in two weeks and will be gone just over the weekend. We will leave on a Friday immediately following our classes and return Sunday afternoon. We will be staying at an onsen in Kyoto that Kyoya's family owns. So my dear daughter, you will not need a passport. It will be a relaxing time and Kyoya has promised that we will not invite the customers to come with us this time. Isn't that right mommy?"

Pushing his glasses up once more, Kyoya glared at Tamaki, but it was wasted since Tamaki was not paying attention to him. Sighing once more, he spoke up, "That is correct. This vacation will be just for the host club."

"Let me guess, you are cutting my debt by 30%, but adding on the cost of the onsen? No thank you," Haruhi snorted.

Mori had known about the upcoming vacation because Hunny had overheard Tamaki mention something to Kyoya and told him about it. Knowing that his girlfriend would not want to go and knowing that Kyoya would be more than happy to add the cost of the trip to her debt, he had already talked to the vice president about covering the cost for Haruhi without her knowledge.

"Actually, no. You debt will be lowered by 30% and we will not increase your debt if you choose to go on the trip with us," Kyoya said plainly.

"Mommy she has to go! We are a family and have to go together!" Tamaki whined and then turned to Haruhi. He got on his knees and shuffled over to where she was, "Please Haruhi. You have to go on this trip with us. We are going as a club. I promise mommy won't be mean and add more to your debt. I will cover anything that he tries to add."

"There is no need for that Tamaki," Kyoya said snapping his black notebook closed, "I assure you Haruhi that nothing will be added to your debt in regards to this vacation."

Scowling, Haruhi looked at Mori, then Tamaki, and then Kyoya. She was trying to decide if Kyoya was lying to her or not because she learned that you should never trust the shadow king when it comes to money and debts. Rolling her eyes, she finally said, "Fine, I will go on this stupid vacation as long as my debt does not increase from it and you lower it by the agreed amount."

"Of course," Kyoya smirked and inclined his head ever so slightly.

Tamaki was overjoyed and tried to grab Haruhi, but could not get his arms around her. He looked to see what the problem was and found that she had a very large arm around her and it was holding onto her tightly. Following the arm to the face that owned it, Tamaki jumped back and was shaking. Mori looked angry. "Sorry Mori-senpai, I was just excited," Tamaki said trying to appease the giant.

Nodding his head to let the younger man know that he accepted his apology, the glare he was shooting Tamaki never wavered. He looked down at Haruhi and could see that she was frowning at Tamaki also, and that seemed to help get rid of some of his irritation. Squeezing her a little to let her know that she was safe from unwanted advances from the king, he turned to Kyoya and said, "Is there anything else?"

"No, I do not believe so. Tamaki is there anything else you can think of?" Kyoya asked.

"No, mommy. I think that is it," Tamaki squeeked. He was truly scared of Mori and his icy glare.

"Good. Well since that is it, everyone is dismissed for the day," Kyoya said as he stood up and then headed for his laptop once again.

The twins, who were quiet during the meeting (well except for a snicker or two… ok a lot of snickering at Tamaki's antics), watched Mori walk to the back room and sidled up to Haruhi wrapping their arms around her after she stood. "You know Haruhi, I think this calls for some new clothes," Hikaru smiled at his friend.

"I agree Hikaru. She will need some new outfits for our vacation," Kaoru added.

"I don't think so. I will be fine without any new clothes. I hate playing Barbie with you two," Haruhi deadpanned.

"You see, we already have your measurements," the twins declared together and started to laugh.

Haruhi groaned. She knew that she was in trouble now. Enunciating each word, she verbalized, "I don't need new clothes!"

Mori walked out of the back room and saw Hikaru and Kaoru hanging on Haruhi, and it appeared to him that she wanted to kill them. In order to save them and prevent additional harassment towards her, he quickly joined the group and said, "Let's go."

Hikaru and Kaoru immediately let go of their friend when they noticed her boyfriend had walked up to them. It still hurt, but they could tell that the couple really loved each other and belonged together. "We were just telling her of the new outfits we were going to make her for our trip," they explained.

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi sneered, "I told you I don't need knew clothes. We are just going to an onsen and will be in robes most of the time. If we decide to go out, I have clothes that I can wear!"

Mori knew that it was going to keep going and neither side would back down. So in the best interest of everyone involved, he grabbed Haruhi around the waist and picked her up, carrying her out of the door that Hunny had opened for him with Haruhi yelling at him the whole time. He finally set her down when they were out of the room and the door was closed.

"What did you do that for?" Haruhi turned on her boyfriend.

"There was no winning the argument on either side," Mori said simply and started to walk down the hall.

"He's right Haru-Chan. You weren't going to back down and knowing Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan, regardless of what you say, they are going to make the clothes," Hunny tried to explain.

Breathing in deeply and then releasing the air slowly, Haruhi grumbled, "I guess you are right. I just don't like it when they do that stuff."

"You have to know what battles to fight to win, and what battles have no chance of victory. Arguing with the twins will not get you anywhere. The easiest thing to do is smile, nod, accept the clothes, and move on. You will not have to wear them again after the vacation and you can even choose not to wear them on vacation, but they will make them regardless," Hunny stated.

"Mitsukuni is right," Mori said.

Stomping off towards the stairs, Haruhi mumbled, "I know he is right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

The cousins looked at each other and smiled. Well one had a huge smile on his face and started to giggle, the other one had a slight turn up on his lips.

When they got into the car, Mori thought again about what he wanted Haruhi to do in order to make sure Tamaki learned his lesson about glopping her and cutting off her oxygen supply. Getting his girlfriend's attention, he said, "Do you remember what you said this morning about Tamaki?"

Haruhi scrunched up her face to think about what Mori was talking about and then a light bulb when off in her head and she laughed, "About him ending up on the floor?"

"Yes."

Looking up into his eyes, Haruhi could see the twinkle in his eye. He was up to something and she was curious about what it was, "What about it?"

Hunny already knew where his cousin was going with this and thought it was a great idea. He was already laughing and bouncing on his seat, "Yes! That would be awesome!"

"What?" Haruhi asked confused.

"I think you should put him on the floor," Mori declared.

"What?!" Haruhi exclaimed.

"It would teach him a lesson, and it is good practice for you since he runs up on you like an attacker would," Mori explained.

Haruhi started to laugh. She had to give it to Mori; he could be merciless when it came to certain things. Protecting Hunny and her were two of them. "I don't know how to do that though," she said suddenly looking crestfallen.

"I can teach you and I will talk to Chika about working on some of that also," Hunny offered.

"By the time we leave, you will be able to throw him or trip him. It will teach him that he can't embrace you all of the time like he does, and I would know that you will be ok after I graduate," Mori said.

Smirking and nodding her head, Haruhi agreed, "Ok, I think I like your plan."

The trio laughed and continued the car ride to Haruhi's apartment. She may not have the skills yet, but with the help of Hunny, Mori, Satoshi, and Chika, she would gain the skills she will need in order to defend herself from attackers of all sorts; and that includes the friendly ones too.


	20. Training for Life

**A/N: Mori's plan is great, isn't it? LOL. Well it will teach them not to mess with Haruhi and show them that she has been learning how to defend herself so that we don't have a repeat of the beach episode. LOL. Unfortunately we have to wait one more chapter before you see Haruhi versus Tamaki, and maybe the twins. Happy reading of the new chapter and if you can, please review. **

Chapter 20 – Training for Life

Hunny and Chika talked about Haruhi's training and it was decided that they would start teaching her how to block and trip her opponent, and she would learn how to flip an attacker. The more weapons she had at her dispense, the better it would be for her. Although they were more advance moves and she was still a beginner, they both felt like she could learn given the proper training and they would start her new training regime immediately.

"Hello Hunny-senpai," Haruhi greeted the caller on the other line. She had heard her phone ring while she was cooking dinner and rushed to answer it. It surprised her a little bit that it was Hunny that was calling her and not Mori, so she was immediately curious about what he needed to talk about.

"Hi Haru-Chan! What are you doing?" Hunny replied. Knowing he sounded excited, he tried to tone it down, but it wasn't really possible since this is Hunny we are talking about.

"I am just finishing up with cooking dinner. What did you need?"

"I talked to Chika-Chan about your training and we both agree that although they are more advanced moves, we will teach them to you."

"That's great senpai! Thank you!"

"This is the problem though; we have just over two weeks for you to get them down perfectly. Right now you are only training Tuesday and Thursday with Chika-Chan and I, and you are going to start training with Takashi on Saturdays."

"Ok, what is the problem?"

"We don't think that is enough time to get you up to speed. Is there any way you can put off your kendo training a little longer so that you can work on karate Saturdays? Also do you have any other days that you can work with us until vacation? We can go back to the original schedule after we return."

Haruhi listened to Hunny and could understand the problem. He sounded very serious to her ears and immediately thought about her schedule, "What if we did Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday? If we need to we can also work on Monday or Friday, but leaving Sunday open lets me get my chores done and do some final studying and homework."

"Adding Wednesday and Saturday should be fine. Just be prepared to work hard. Chika-Chan will train you on Tuesday and Thursday now, and I am sure Sato-Chan will help him. I will train you on Wednesday and Saturday. Takashi will probably be with me so you will still get to spend some time with him. I know it will be hard, but I really believe you can do this."

"Thank you senpai, I am ready to learn and if it means extra time in the dojo, then so be it. I am actually ahead in my classes besides any surprise homework the sensei gives us, so I am not too worried about giving up the extra time right now. Is it sad that I am excited to see Tamaki's face when he realizes that I can defend myself now?"

Hunny started to laugh, "Not at all Haru-Chan. Honestly, I am anticipating what will happen, and I know Takashi is ready for you to show your skills to the rest of the hosts. He is worried what will happen after he leaves, and if you can defend yourself, he will not worry so much."

"I know he is concerned about what Tamaki will do and the fact that he already has to extract me from 'our king's' grasp a lot. I think this will help though and he will learn his lesson."

"I think so too Haru-Chan! Well, I will let you get back to your cooking. Tell you dad hi for me and be ready for Chika-Chan tomorrow."

"I will be Hunny-senpai. Thank you again for all of the help. I will see you tomorrow, and please tell Chika thank you for me also," Haruhi said in farewell to the older man. Hitting the end button after she heard his final good bye, she turned back towards the stove to finish the dinner that she had already started. Her life was about to get a lot more active and busy, and she couldn't wait for the end result.

The next day, Haruhi went through her classes like normal and then it was time for the host club. As she made her way to the music room, she cringed thinking about the scene that awaited her. Although she was five minutes early, Haruhi knew that Tamaki would try to hug her and the twins would do what they could to cause problems. She paused for a second and realized that since Hikaru and Kaoru had learned of her relationship to Mori, they had been more respectful towards her personal space. Smiling she thought to herself, _"I guess they are afraid of what Takashi will do to them if they crossed the line."_ She welcomed the reprieve with open arms.

Walking into the club room, it was just as Haruhi suspected it would be. Tamaki was frantic and crying out for his missing daughter. The twins were trying to tease him, but Tamaki really wasn't listening to them. She saw Mori and Hunny sitting in their usual spot, and sent a smile their way. As the door closed and she started to move towards her boyfriend, a shriek could be heard echoing through the room. Planting her feet and trying to get an in a defensive position, Haruhi got ready for the enthusiastic embrace she knew was coming. She wasn't advanced enough to fend the king off yet, but she promised to get there as quickly as possible. Two weeks, that was the amount of time she had to wait.

"HARUHI, MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER!" Tamaki yelled as he ran towards the small female and scooped her up in his arms swinging her around the room.

"I am not your daughter. Put me down now!" Haruhi bellowed trying to gain freedom from his arms. She was stretching her arms out to the advancing figure of Mori, and soon enough was in his arms and safe from Tamaki.

"Mori-senpai, I was just welcoming her. She didn't mind it at all. Did you my lovely little girl?" Tamaki finished his statement sounding like he was talking to a baby and not a first year in high school who was at the top of her class.

"As if! You are not my father and I would appreciate it if you stopped that," Haruhi grumbled.

Tamaki cried, "Mommy, our daughter doesn't love me!" Running to his corner, he started to grow mushrooms and pout about how mean some people in the club were.

Haruhi sighed and asked Mori to put her down. Shaking her head, she started to make her way to the kitchen in order to start preparing the tea when she was intercepted. Fisting her hands at her sides after she felt one arm around her shoulders and one arm snake around her waist, she fought the urge to yell at her friends.

"Great job Haruhi," Hikaru snickered.

"Yah, I think the boss might be moping through club time again," Kaoru sniggered.

"Whatever! You know as well as I do, as soon as he remembers the ladies, he will turn on the charm and try to impress all of them," Haruhi retorted.

"He is even looking this way," Hikaru and Kaoru said together before they kissed her on her cheeks simultaneously.

Elbowing both of them, Haruhi stepped away from them and started to wipe her cheeks and yelled, "What the hell did you do that for?"

"YOU WICKED DOPPELGANGERS, GET AWAY FROM MY LITTLE GIRL!" Tamaki screamed as he ran towards the trio and chased the twins away.

Grumbling to herself, Haruhi moved quickly to the kitchen so that she would not be bothered any longer. She started to make the tea, but then heard the kitchen door open and immediately turned around to tell off her new assailant. Her words were squelched before they had a chance to be made known though since it was Mori that was walking through the door and not one of the irksome threesome. Releasing a breath, Haruhi said, "Oh thank God it is you and not one of those others."

"Are you ok? I saw what the twins did," Mori stated simply and looked her over.

Haruhi waived him off, "I am fine. They were doing it to get a rise out of Tamaki, and like always he flew off the handle doing exactly what the twins wanted him to do. It is just exasperating!"

Mori walked up to the small woman and pulled her into his arms. Kissing the top of her head, he sighed, "I know. I wanted to teach them a lesson myself. Mitsukuni told me of the changes to your training schedule."

"Is that going to be alright with you?"

"It's fine. We will start your training in kendo after we get back from vacation. Right now you need to concentrate on learning those new moves so that you can defend yourself against anyone that would try to harm you."

"Thank you Takashi," Haruhi said with a little grin.

The couple stayed like that for a little longer until the tea was ready, and then Mori helped her carry the tea pots out into the main part of the club room. Tamaki and the twins decided to stay away from her since she was staying glued to Mori's side for the time being, but she wouldn't put anything past them.

As soon as club had ended for the day, Mori helped Haruhi tidy up the room so that she could leave as soon as Chika and Satoshi arrived. He was also able to keep the three musketeers away from her temporarily. When she was almost done with her chore, her instructors for the evening arrived, "Just give me a couple of minutes guys, I am almost done."

"Take you time Haruhi," Chika said simply. He was eyeing Hunny, but did not start anything because he knew he had to do his duty to Haruhi and train her. His brother would have to wait for now.

"Haruhi, go. I will finish this for you," Mori softly said.

"Are you sure Takashi? I am almost done," Haruhi inquired. She hated leaving him with any part of the cleaning duty.

"It is fine. Just go," Mori ordered as he leaned down and gave her a brief kiss. "Have fun and work hard. I will call you later."

"Ok. Thank you," Haruhi said before gathering her things and walked towards Chika and Satoshi.

Tamaki had seen her collect her items before moving towards the door. It had not really dawned on him that there were two extra people in the music room at that time, and he ran towards Haruhi in order to give her a good bye hug. Squeezing her, he said, "Do you need a ride home my beautiful daughter?"

"I am not your daughter and you need to let me go right now!" Haruhi growled through clenched teeth.

Mori came out of the kitchen and took in the scene before him. He was about to make his way to help Haruhi, but it appeared Chika and Satoshi were taking care of it for him. They were already upon the host club king before Mori had been able to take two steps. Instead of moving forward, he stopped and watched as everything played out in front of him.

"I suggest you let the lady go Suoh. She already has a ride today," Chika sneered at Tamaki.

"Yasuchika what are you doing here?" Tamaki asked as he stopped his spinning but had yet to release Haruhi.

"Tamaki-senpai, you heard him. Let Haruhi go right now and you won't get hurt," Satoshi threatened the older man. He was holding his shinai, ready to use it if Tamaki did not follow the directions given to him.

Tamaki let go of Haruhi and quickly backed away. He did not want to face off with either one of the middle school third years.

Chika grabbed her bag that had been dropped and Satoshi grabbed her arm, and together they walked her out of the music room. The whole room knew that she was under the protection of the younger teens, and no one was willing to cross them.

When they had gotten in the car and were on their way to the Haninozuka dojo, Haruhi said, "Thanks guys for rescuing me back there. He just gets so excited and he doesn't think."

"It's ok Haruhi. I know Taka was on his way to get you, but we were closer," Satoshi grinned at the girl seated across from him.

"I almost wished Suoh hadn't let you go and then we would have had just cause to teach him a lesson. I will just have to be satisfied with Takashi's plan of attack. I really wish I could be there when it happens," Chika smirked.

"Maybe Hunny or Takashi could carry around a video camera," Haruhi joked. Chika and Satoshi looked at each other and then grinned mischievously before turning their gazes once again to her. She knew that look because it was the same one that graced the face of the twins on a regular basis, and it did not bode well, "What?"

"Why couldn't they carry around a video camera? It is a great idea! You will be going on vacation anyway, so people will have cameras. A video camera would be normal also," Satoshi spoke up.

Chika beamed, "This will be perfect! I can't wait to see the video of you taking him down!"

Haruhi shook her head. She knew that she couldn't talk he friends out of the idea and knew it was easier to just accept that it was going to happen. She chuckled a little when she thought about it and something told her that Chika and Satoshi would be watching it time and time again if it was really captured on film.

When they finally made it to the dojo, Satoshi handed Haruhi a bag and when she gave him a confused look, he explained, "It's from Taka."

Haruhi nodded and took off towards the dressing room. Opening the bag she pulled out a gi. When she looked at the top she noticed that there was embroidery on the back of it. It had her name written in the old Japanese way and then there was an intricate design of a hummingbird with a flower. In the middle of the two, was the symbol for yin-yang. It was beautiful and she ran her fingers over the stitching; Mori knew that her favorite bird was the humming bird. Realizing that she needed to hurry, she put her new gi on and went out to the training area of the dojo.

As Haruhi stepped out of the changing room, Satoshi started to chuckle. He noticed that she sent him a vexed look, but he just shook his head and walked up to her, "You tied it wrong." He instructed her on how to fix the top of the gi and tie the belt so that she would know going forward.

"Oh, well thank you for fixing it. You didn't have to laugh though. I thought I had done it right," Haruhi murmured.

"You almost had it, but it looked so funny to me. Sorry," Satoshi replied still smiling.

Chika watched the exchange and rolled his eyes. His cousin got the biggest kick out of the smallest things sometimes; while he thought that Haruhi had done a decent job for wearing the uniform the first time. He really admired her for what she was about to take on and hoped that he could help her achieve her goal. "Are you ready?" He asked Haruhi.

"Hai!" She exclaimed before bowing to him. It was time to get started.

The trio of friends warmed up together and then reviewed the basics that they had covered in their previous session. Once that was out of the way, it was time to move onto the more advanced techniques that he had agreed to help her with. Tonight they would start with blocking and tripping, and next week she would start on throwing her opponent. She still had basics to learn that would help her with both of the moves, but they would break everything down for her and make sure she was able to perform without injuring herself.

Training was rigorous, but Haruhi trained hard the remaining two weeks before vacation. Between the four cousins, Haruhi was able to pick up on the basic moves and the more complex moves that they had been teaching her. She trained hard and fought to get everything perfect. Mori, Hunny, Chika, and Satoshi all agreed that after two weeks of training, she had come a long way, and it appeared she had mastered the skills she had set out to learn. The real test would be Friday, when the host club left together for their vacation.

All five teens were anticipating the moment Haruhi would act, and Hunny was hoping to catch it on camera. He and Mori had agreed to film it if they could for their brothers. They were all counting down the minutes, and were giddy with excitement. It wasn't every day that you could see a flying Tamaki Suoh after all.


	21. It's a Bird, It's A Plane, It's Tamaki

**A/N: If you have not seen it yet, I am doing collaboration with oreobabez and the story is titled Hijacked Love. Check it out; it is going to be good. So I know everyone is ready to see a flying Tamaki and I could not hold off on writing it any longer. It is time for vacation and Haruhi has been trained by the best. Any bets on how long after the hosts gather it will be before Tamaki is given the surprise of his life? Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

Chapter 21 – It's a Bird, It's a Plane, No It's Just Tamaki

It was finally the day that the hosts were set to leave on vacation. Anticipation was high from all of the members of the host club, but everyone had very different reasons for their excitement. Tamaki was ready to relax and hopefully spend some quality time with his precious daughter. The twins wanted to see Haruhi in her new clothes, even if they had to force her into them. Kyoya was just hoping to keep the squawking to a minimum and the baths were always enjoyable. The most anxious though was probably Mori and Hunny; they were ready to witness Haruhi unleash her new "powers". Haruhi was ready for action.

"I'm glad sensei allowed us to leave class early today," Hunny said from his perch on his cousin's back.

"Me too," Mori responded. They had wanted to be able to get to the music room before anyone else could arrive in order to make sure they didn't miss any of the action. Knowing that everything would probably happen before the club departed on their trip, Hunny and Mori needed to be situated before the others got to the club room.

"I can't wait until Haruhi shows the others what she has learned," Hunny giggled thinking about what was about to happen.

One of the corners of Mori's mouth turned up slightly, "Me too, but you know Kyoya probably knows something. He always knows."

"You are probably right," Hunny agreed, and started laughing again.

Walking into the music room, Hunny jumped off of Mori's back and immediately ran towards the pile of luggage that was in the middle of the room. They both wanted to change into something more comfortable than their uniforms for their upcoming journey. Hunny grabbed his small overnight bag that was plastered with bunnies and was about to head towards the changing room, but was stopped by Mori's voice. "Wait. We don't know if the others are staying through the end of class. We got out early; the others might try to get out early as well."

"Oh, you're right Takashi! I didn't think of that," Hunny giggled again and dropped his bag. He made sure the camera was ready to start filming, and then sat down on a chair that would give him the best view of the music room entrance. Mori sat in the chair next to him.

Mori had been right; he and Hunny were not the only ones that managed to be released from classes early. About five minutes after they got settled into their chairs, the doors opened up to reveal the host club king and the shadow king.

"Look Mommy, Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai are excited to be going on this trip too!" Tamaki exclaimed.

Kyoya rolled his eyes. He knew that getting Tamaki out of class early with him could cause problems, but it was better than listening to his friend whine. Wanting to make sure everything was ready for their departure from school; Kyoya used his pull with the teacher to leave class ten minutes before the bell. If he was surprised to see Hunny and Mori sitting in the room already, he didn't show it.

Tamaki carried on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "It is going to be thrilling to share in my daughter's first trip to the onsen!" He soon appeared to be lost in his own little dream world.

_Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre_

"_Oh Tamaki-senpai, thank you so much for bringing me here with you! I love it! I have never been to an onsen before, and I am glad you are here with me. You are the best," Haruhi blushed and hugged Tamaki. _

_Returning her embrace, Tamaki declared, "I will make sure that you get to experience everything we take for granted, and that most commoners only dream of doing! I will give you anything and everything you could ever possibly want!" He twirled her around, and as he listened to her feminine giggle, he knew that he had been the one to make her happy._

"_Thank you Tamaki-senpai, thank you," Haruhi gushed as she smiled down at the man holding her._

_End of this productions of Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre (bows)_

"Whatever it is you are thinking, stop it," Kyoya said as he hit his friend on the back of the head. He knew that if Tamaki didn't watch it, Mori would show the blonde who Haruhi truly belonged to, and it wasn't the host club king.

"What did you do that for? I was only thinking how ecstatic Haruhi will be to experience an onsen for the first time. I know she feels lucky to be able to have opportunities most people of commoner status don't have," Tamaki whined.

Mori and Hunny looked at each other and then face palmed. That was not who Haruhi was. She didn't care about what all of their money could gain her or material possessions, she was simple and still like simple things. The exception to the rule was ootoro. She loved fatty tuna, and Mori loved to spoil her by taking her out to sushi restaurants in order to indulge her cravings.

A commotion outside the music room alerted the other four hosts that the remaining hosts would soon be making their appearance. From the sounds of things, the twins were probably dragging Haruhi to the music room instead of letting her make her way on her own. When the doors opened and the trio walked inside, the twins each had possession of one of Haruhi's arms and were pulling her behind them. However, when they spotted the glare Mori was sending their way, the immediately let go of her and moved away, "Sorry Mori-senpai."

"Why are you apologizing to him? I am the one you tried to rip limbs off of and kidnapped from class!" Haruhi shouted at her friends.

Tamaki's face started to turn red and then he shrieked, "How dare you evil twins harm my daughter! Get away from her you shady duo! Haruhi tell daddy where it hurts. I will make it all better. I can kiss the injury and using the power of a father's love, it will heal!" He ran forward with every intention to embrace her, but he was in for a surprise.

Now it is important to make note of a few things. The twins were afraid of the look Mori was sending their way, so they moved about ten feet away from Haruhi instead allowing Mori to forcefully move them away from his girlfriend. Hunny had picked up the camcorder and started to record as soon as he heard the noises outside the music room door. He wanted to be sure to have everything on tape. Kyoya noticed the camera in Hunny's hands and wondered what was about to happen. He wasn't completely sure, but he knew that it had something to do with Haruhi; and he thought it might have something to do with the fact that she had been studying more than academic subjects recently. Glancing at Mori, the shadow king noticed what could only be described as a smug look appear on the normally stoic face. This was about to get interesting.

Haruhi saw Tamaki advancing on her and was ready. She was loose and got into a defensive stance ready to show the host club her new skills. As soon as Tamaki was about to grab her, she grabbed his forearm and using the techniques she had learned, sent him flying to the floor a couple of feet away. Tamaki lay on his back trying to understand what just happened while silence filled the music room.

Well actually the silence only lasted less than a minute because Hunny started to laugh. Beaming as he looked at the female host, he exclaimed, "That was perfect Haru-Chan! Just like we showed you."

Turning towards Hunny and looking directly into the camera, she smirked, "Thank you Hunny-senpai. You and Chika are really good teachers!"

"What?!" Three voices exclaimed together. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki were stunned by what just happened.

"Well you guys did tell me to learn how to defend myself. Did you not?" Haruhi asked trying to look innocent.

"My daughter just wanted to show daddy everything she has been learning! You are so cute!" Tamaki shrieked and jumped up from his position on the floor. He ran to Haruhi again in order to give her a hug and tell her how proud he was of her, but he found himself on the floor once again.

Haruhi knew that Tamaki was going to try again as soon as he popped up off of the floor, and she was ready for him. Blocking the arms that tried to grab her, she ducked and tripped him. He never stood a chance against her. "Now will you stop trying to smother me?" Haruhi growled.

"I, I, I," Tamaki stammered. He couldn't quite get his thoughts together.

"Now you've done it Haruhi," Kaoru walked up to her side, but didn't touch her.

Hikaru was not so smart. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he laughed, "I think you broke the boss."

"Hikaru get your arm off of me, please," Haruhi warned sweetly.

"Why?" Hikaru frowned at her. He didn't think she would try the same moves on him that she had just done to Tamaki.

"Hika-Chan, she can flip you also," Hunny explained to the younger man.

"She wouldn't do that to me," Hikaru scoffed.

Turning to his cousin, as he kept the camcorder on Haruhi, Hunny said, "I did try to warn him."

Mori nodded and stated, "He will learn."

Kaoru, sensing that Haruhi could and would do something if Hikaru did not move his arm, safely pulled the appendage off of the girl. When his brother tried to protest, Kaoru stated, "I think we have seen enough people go flying around here. We are a host club, not a circus act."

Looking from his brother to his friend, he inquired, "You wouldn't have done anything to me, would you?"

"I can and would. I don't feel like having Tamaki squeeze me to death, and I don't feel like having you two hang on me right now," Haruhi smiled and walked over to where Hunny and Mori were sitting. As she approached her boyfriend and his cousin, Mori stood up and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed and asked, "How was that?"

"Perfect," Mori said pulling her in for a hug.

"Chika-Chan and Sato-Chan will be proud of you!" Hunny said putting down the camera and jumping up from his seat in order to give Haruhi a hug also.

"So this is what you have been learning," Kyoya said as he pushed his glasses up his nose creating the glare that would hide his eyes. In truth he was amused about what had happened, and he hoped that this meant Tamaki would think twice about trying to embrace the small girl against her will again.

Turning around to face the others, Haruhi smiled, "Yes, Chika, Hunny, Takashi, and Satoshi have been helping me learning Karate. Starting next week, I will also be learning kendo. As you can see, I have picked up on what they have been teaching me."

"I can see that. Good for you," Kyoya smirked before turning to his best friend who was still lying prostrate on the floor. Shaking his head, he ordered, "Get up you moron!"

"Mommy, our daughter attacked me," Tamaki cried in a very squeaky voice.

"She didn't attack you, she defended herself. There is a difference, and you did tell her that she needed to know how to do just that. Now if you do not get up off of that floor, I will cancel the trip and we will not be going anywhere," Kyoya glared.

Tamaki pulled himself up off of the floor. He was still in a state of shock about what just happened. The dream he had earlier went up in a puff of smoke and he was left rocked to his core. Haruhi had prevented him from embracing her twice, and she had been learning how to defend herself. Looking at Haruhi standing in front of Mori, he saw the taller man's arms wrapped around her. He couldn't quite understand what just happened. "_She was just trying to show me what she has been learning, right? My daughter just wants her daddy to be proud of her. That has to be why she used her new skills on me. I am sure of it! There is no other reason for her to send me to the ground like that," _Tamaki said in a little pep talk to himself.

"I would suggest that anyone that wants to change out of their school uniform, change now. We will be leaving in 15 minutes," Kyoya instructed everyone in the room. He knew that Tamaki and the twins were still reeling from what just happened. Haruhi was no longer the small host who could not defend herself; she was learning how to protect herself from anyone and everyone. She appeared to be a good student too. Smirking, he grabbed his overnight back and turned towards the changing rooms. This was very useful information indeed.


	22. Red Card

**A/N: LOL! I couldn't resist Haruhi throwing Tamaki to the ground twice. And you are right; he has not learned his lesson. This is Tamaki though; he isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to certain things. Here is the next chapter in this "adventure" of the host club. Please review if you can, and happy reading! BTW… Title of this chapter comes from the end of "Beware the Physical Exam" when the twins "red carded" Tamaki at the very end. LOL. **

Chapter 22 – Red Card

After the exhibition in the music room, followed by the shock, and then everyone getting ready to leave school grounds, the host club was finally on their way to the onsen. Haruhi had to admit that she was kind of looking forward to this relaxing vacation (well as relaxing as it can be around Tamaki, the twins, and let's admit it… Hunny too since he is a bit hyper).

When they were getting into the car, Tamaki tried to insert himself next to Haruhi, but she was seated next to a door and Mori was sitting next to her. Clearing his throat, the king spoke up, "Excuse me Mori-senpai, would you mind moving so that I can sit next to my daughter? I wanted to talk to her about her new extracurricular hobbies."

The air at that moment was sucked completely out of the car by five people inhaling before looking towards Mori. He seemed calm enough, but two people could tell that Tamaki's request irked him to no end. It could be seen in the tightness of his jaw and the slight narrowing of the eyes. If Tamaki did not watch out, it was going to be more than just Haruhi sending him flying to the ground.

"Tamaki, find a seat elsewhere," Kyoya glared at his best friend. He couldn't believe that the club president would even think something like that much less speak it out loud. Kyoya shook his head, "_He really is a baka."_

"But mommy, I just want to sit next to our precious little girl so that we can talk," Tamaki whined.

"No," Mori spoke up and firmly stated his opinion on the matter.

"Mori-senpai you get to spend more time with her than me. My daughter and I need bonding time. It is apparent that I have been neglecting my fatherly duties if I didn't even know that she was learning self-defense," Tamaki pleaded with the tall senior.

Glaring at Tamaki causing him to shrink back in fear, Mori said, "No, find another seat. She spends time with me because I am her boyfriend. You need to get over your infatuation and project it elsewhere. I am not moving and neither is she." Mori may not talk much around everyone, but when he said something there was typically a reason for it, and today he was showing Tamaki his real place in Haruhi's life and it was not next to her, that was Mori's position.

"Haruhi! Tell the neighbor that you want to sit next to daddy!" Tamaki cried grabbing her hands and begging her.

Sighing, Haruhi frowned at her friend, "Why would I do that? Takashi is not a neighbor; he is your friend and my boyfriend. I am not your daughter and I want to sit next to my boyfriend, ergo I want to sit next to Takashi. This limo is big enough that you can find another seat elsewhere and small enough that we can carry on a conversation without you breathing down my neck."

Each sentence was like an arrow to the heart of the king. Just as he was about to turn to ash, Kyoya spoke up again, "Do not get my car dirty with your dust or you will regret it. Oh and if you plan on wallowing in your self-pity, do not grow your mushrooms in here. Now you can either find another seat, or you can get out and we will go to the onsen without you." Pushing his glasses up, Kyoya knew he was intimidating Tamaki and he didn't regret a minute of it. Tamaki may have been his best friend, but he was still Kyoya Ootori, Shadow King of Ouran Academy.

Tamaki quickly moved to one of the side seats so that he could be as close as possible to Haruhi, but unfortunately due to his actions earlier, the twins got the closest seat to her and he had to sit next to them. "_Maybe we can have daddy/daughter time when we get to the onsen. Yah, we can take a bath together!" _Tamaki conversed in his head.

As soon as the car was on its way, all eyes turned to Haruhi and the questions flew. First up was Kaoru," That was so cool! When did you start learning all of that and who taught you?"

"Well like I said, Takashi, Hunny, Chika, and Satoshi have been teaching me. Mainly Chika and Hunny though with Takashi and Satoshi helping them. I started learning a few weeks ago, but we thought we would surprise you with learning something 'special' for the trip," Haruhi smirked.

"That was special alright! I never saw the boss looked so surprised!" Hikaru laughed.

"I just surprised she had learned so much. Daddy is so proud of you for learning all of that. If you want, I can help you learn a couple of things," Tamaki gushed.

Lifting an eyebrow and looking at Tamaki like he lost his mind, Haruhi finally shook her head and declined his offer, "No, I think I am good on teachers right now. I have two of the top karate guys teaching me, along with two top kendo athletes. I don't think I need anyone else." She was as blunt as ever.

"But Haruhi, I am you daddy and I am sure that they will not be as patient with you as I can be. We are talking about Yasuchika here!" Tamaki yelled.

Huffing, she was losing her patience with Tamaki and every time he opened his mouth it got worse. "You are not now, nor will you ever be my father. I have a father and it is not you! As for Chika, he is extremely patient with me and is very good at giving me instruction," Haruhi growled through clenched teeth.

"Hunny-senpai how is it that you and Chika can teach Haruhi? Don't you two fight?" Hikaru asked looking at the loli shota host.

"Yah, you two fight every time you see each other, how is it possible to even teach Haruhi?" Kaoru inserted.

"It's easy Kao-Chan, Hika-Chan. We actually don't teach her together. We each have certain days that we instruct Haruhi so that there are no fights and she can actually learn," Hunny explained.

"Good idea!" They twins exclaimed at the same time, each giving the shortest host two thumbs up.

"So you said that you are going to be learning kendo also?" Kyoya inquired fishing for information, or at least that is the way it seemed. It may not appear to be the case, but Kyoya actually considered Haruhi a friend and was glad that she was learning a way to defend herself. The more she knew, the safer she would be.

Nodding her head, Haruhi smiled, "Yes, Takashi said that he would teach me kendo after we got back from vacation." They didn't need to know that she was going to start studying kendo before vacation, but put it off in order to be able to take down the host club king.

"Well good luck to you. Kendo has its own challenges and nuances apart from karate, but you have an excellent instructor and I am sure you will learn a lot," Kyoya said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Looking up at Mori, Haruhi beamed and linked her hand with his, "I think so too."

All of the hosts looked at the couple and could tell that they were happy and in love. It was a true host club romance, but there one was host that the relationship didn't quite sit right with. Tamaki was happy for the couple and he was willing to let her go, but there was something inside of him that made him rush to her side and try to pull her closer to him. He knew he had to get past it, but he wasn't sure how to do that.

Kyoya glanced at Tamaki and knew that something was going on in that brain of his, and he was sure that it had something to do with Haruhi. Tamaki realized his feelings for the female host and as much as he said that he was letting go, Kyoya didn't believe he really had. Maybe he didn't know how to let go because of the blows life had dealt him, the shadow king wasn't sure. Kyoya was sure that he would need to keep an eye on Tamaki during this vacation so that he didn't ruin the relationship between Haruhi and Mori, or the friendship the king had with both of them. "_This is turning out to be more trouble than it is worth. I wonder how much debt I can add to Haruhi in order to keep that moron away from her," _Kyoya thought to himself.

The rest of the journey was thankfully fairly quiet. A few words spoken here and there, but most of the hosts slept at some point in time, making the trip peaceful and relaxing. Well that is until they pulled up to the onsen, then the twins were awake and trying to cause trouble by teasing Tamaki, Hunny was begging for cake, and Tamaki was crying and trying to make his home in a dark corner (best place to cultivate mushrooms). Haruhi, Mori, and Kyoya all looked at each other and sweat dropped. They were somehow the adults of the group and thus were in charge of the other four. This may very well be a long and tiring trip.

The first thing they had to do was round everyone up and check-in. Haruhi told Kyoya to do the check-in for everyone while she and Mori tried to get the others in line. Looking over the task of either helping with the other four or doing the assignment she gave him, Kyoya swiftly made his way to the front desk. Once he was gone, Haruhi turned to the other four and put her fingers in her mouth. A split second later a shrill whistle could be heard echoing through the lobby. All eyes turned towards Mori and Haruhi as they watched the small girl remove her fingers from her mouth, and wondered how something so loud came out of something so small. Haruhi spoke up, "Now that we have everyone's attention… Hunny-senpai you will get a slice of cake shortly; here is a candy bar to tide you over until then. Hikaru and Kaoru, stop teasing Tamaki for ten minutes so that we can get up to our rooms and start to enjoy ourselves. Tamaki-senpai, get out of that corner and get rid of the mushrooms. You are the president of the club and yet you aren't really acting like it. Kyoya-senpai is checking us in and will bring our room assignments."

Mori was impressed with how well she was able to get everyone's attention and gave them direction, but when it came to Haruhi, he learned something new about her all of the time. He saw Kyoya approach and other than a slight lift of the younger man's brow, he gave no indication he was stunned to see four subdued hosts waiting for him. The stoic senior almost wanted to laugh, almost.

Kyoya walked up to the group expecting to see chaos and found order. Needless to say he was stunned and when he gazed at the couple, he knew without a doubt that this was the work of Haruhi. If it was Mori, he wouldn't have been wearing a smug and slightly surprised look himself. Clearing his throat, Kyoya announced, "I have the room assignments for everyone. We are all on the same floor. Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai, you are in room 203. It has two queen sized beds. I hope that is satisfactory. Hikaru and Kaoru, you are in room 204, it also has two queen sized beds. Tamaki, you are in room 206, I am in 208, and Haruhi you are in room 205. It actually has a connecting door to 203…"

Kyoya was interrupted at this point in time by Tamaki screeching and running up to Haruhi and pulling her into his arms, "That isn't safe. She can't be that close to Mori-senpai. We need to get her a different room. Actually, no scratch that! You will share a room with me and I will protect you!"

"I think she is safer with them than she is with you, boss!" Hikaru teased.

Kaoru joined in, "Yah, you are the pervert touching another man's girlfriend."

"Don't listen to them my sweet baby girl! I will make sure that you are kept safe," Tamaki declared as he pulled her even closer to him.

"I suggest you let me go now or I will make you let me go," Haruhi threatened with a growl.

"You don't mean that Haruhi. You are so cute. Don't worry, daddy is here for you," Tamaki babbled not taking the hint.

Seeing Mori moving towards her, Haruhi shook her head for him to stand down. She needed to handle Tamaki on her own right now, "This is your last warning… put me down and let me go!" When he didn't listen to her, she drew back her leg and kicked him in the shin. She momentarily thought about using her knee, but she didn't think she could get enough force and he was still her friend. When he yelped and his grip loosened, Haruhi used a well-placed chop on his shoulder and she was free, but before he could do anything else, she grabbed his arm and threw him once again. Dusting her hands off, she stated, "When I say let go, I mean let go."

"Haruhi?" Tamaki stared up at the girl in shock and couldn't believe that she had attacked him again.

"You are not my father and I do not like to be man handled. I warned you that you needed to let me go, but you didn't listen. I had no choice but to defend myself," Haruhi explained looked down at the blonde on the ground. Looking up at Kyoya she smiled sweetly, "Thank you for checking us in Kyoya-senpai. I don't know about all of you, but I think I am ready to go up to my room and maybe go for a soak. Excuse me."

"We will come with you Haru-Chan!" Hunny exclaimed excitedly. He was pumped that Haruhi had learned the new techniques so well and was executing them perfectly. Looking up at his cousin, he knew Mori felt the same way.

"Haruhi kicked me and then hit me. Then she threw me," Tamaki whimpered as he pulled himself into a fetal position in the lobby.

"That's three times now!" The twins informed him happily.

Glaring down at Tamaki, Kyoya stated, "Well, she did warn you that you needed to let her go. Maybe you should have listened to her. She was just defending herself. "

"You know Kaoru, the boss is such a pervert grabbing Haruhi like that," Hikaru teased their fallen king.

"I have to agree Hikaru. Touching another man's woman, you should be ashamed of yourself boss," Kaoru laughed.

"I was just hugging my daughter and trying to protect her from danger!" Tamaki cried tears streaming down his face and landing in a puddle under his cheek where it lay on the cold ground.

"What danger? She and Mori-senpai are together and are perfectly safe with each other, and as you can see, she can take care of herself," Kyoya mocked him.

"MOMMY! No one can protect her like her father can!" Tamaki wailed and got up to grab Kyoya's shirt in a pleading gesture.

Unfazed by Tamaki's actions, Kyoya pried his friend's hands off of him and sneered, "Mori and Hunny can defend her better than you and a whole troop of Ootori soldiers. She also knows how to defend herself, and Mori-senpai is a gentleman; he would not take advantage of her. I cannot say the same thing to you though."

"Daddy wants to touch sister!" The twins yelled.

"Stop it you to malicious twins!" Tamaki screamed.

"RED CARD! You are not supposed to touch daughter like that!" Hikaru and Kaoru mocked before running off to the stair case in order to get to their rooms and out Tamaki's reach as fast as possible.

"You know, normally I would not agree with those two, but this time, they may have a point. Leave her alone Tamaki. She is happy and secure with Mori-senpai," Kyoya spoke quietly and succinctly before walking off towards the elevators in order to make his way to his own room, leaving Tamaki standing in the lobby alone.

When Tamaki realized that everyone had left him, he screeched and ran towards the direction he saw Kyoya walking. "_Maybe they are right," _Tamaki sighed and walked into the open elevator with his best friend.


	23. There Goes Another One

**A/N: Happy Easter Everyone! I am glad that all of you enjoy seeing the Great Flying Tamaki. One could only hope that he eventually gets it, but not sure when or if that will ever happen. If he does learn his lesson, I think it will slip his mind one day and he will be on the ground again. LOL. Oh well, we all need comic relief in life and Tamaki is good in that role. HAHA! Enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think if you have the time. **

Chapter 23 – There Goes Another One

Haruhi had just gotten done changing when a much energized knock came from the connecting door in her room. Turning the lock on the handle and opening the door, she found Hunny bouncing up and down in place. She couldn't help but laugh, "Let me guess you are ready to go downstairs."

"Yep! We were going to see if you wanted to walk down with us," Hunny explained with a huge smile on his face.

Thinking about it for a second, Haruhi said, "Well it might be safer if you two escorted me downstairs. I really don't feel like dealing with Tamaki or the twins right now." She went back into her room to make sure she had her key and then met her boyfriend and his cousin in their room, "Ok, all set."

"Ok Haru-Chan! We will take you to the female changing area first and then we will go down to our area. Right Takashi?" Hunny stated.

"Yah," Mori said as he walked over to his girlfriend and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Just as they were about to open the room door and walk out, the trio heard vigorous knocking coming from Haruhi's door. Groaning, Haruhi grumbled, "How much do you want to bet that it is either Tamaki or the twins?"

Giggling, Hunny declared, "Don't worry Haru-Chan, we will make sure you are not bothered! Let's find out who the mystery knocker is." Opening the door, Hunny saw Tamaki continually knock on the door. Looking over his shoulder, he whispered, "Its Tama-Chan." He could tell by the look on the girl's face that Tamaki was the last person Haruhi wanted to see, "Don't worry Haru-Chan, I will deal with him. Takashi, you take her down to the baths. I will be right behind you."

"Ok," Mori agreed quickly. When his cousin walked out of the room, he pulled Haruhi towards the stairs that were located just across the hall from his room. Tamaki never noticed that the other door had opened and closed.

As soon as the door to the staircase was once again closed, Hunny made himself known to the host club king, "What are you doing Tama-Chan?" He really could sound innocent when he wanted to.

Tamaki jumped and yelled when he heard a sweet voice coming from behind him. When he looked around and down, he found Hunny standing only a couple of feet away from him. "H-Hunny-senpai! I was just checking on my daughter. I was going to ask her if she would like me to escort her to the baths," Tamaki explained.

Shaking his head, Hunny stated, "She isn't there. Takashi already escorted her down to the baths."

"WHAT? He can't bathe with her. As her father, only I can!" Tamaki yelled.

Rolling his eyes, the shorter man sneered, "He wasn't going to bathe with her you baka; he was just taking her down to the baths. And another thing, you can't bathe with her either. You are not her real father!" Taking a step closer to the president, he threatened, "Tamaki, if you do not stop your idiotic ways and trying to manhandle Takashi's girlfriend, I will make sure that you regret trying to touch her or bathe with her." When he saw the other man gulp, the flowers and smile appeared once again, "Okay Tama-Chan, I will see you downstairs. Bye!"

Tamaki nodded and watched as the cute senior ran to the staircase and disappeared through the door. After Hunny was gone, Tamaki started to slide down the wall terrified for his life, his soul leaving his body.

Kyoya and the twins found the shell of the man that was their club president outside Haruhi's door and unmoving. The twins looked at each other with questioning looks, both assuming that Haruhi said or did something to Tamaki like she normally did. Kyoya pushed his glasses up and wondered what his moronic best friend did now. It came down to a choice of leaving him in the hall soulless, or to pick him up and take him with them. Neither option sounded really good. Instead, Kyoya decided to speak up, "Tamaki get your soul, we are going down to the baths. If you aren't in the elevator by the time it arrives, we will be leaving you here." Kyoya turned towards the twins and pushed them towards the elevator at the other end of the hall, "Come on you two. No sense in wasting time dealing with him right now."

"Kyoya wait for me!" Tamaki yelled coming to and grabbing his soul that was hovering above him. So he had missed Haruhi this time, they were there for a whole weekend and he could spend time with her later. He ran to catch the elevator before the doors closed knowing that his best friend would indeed leave him like he threatened to do.

By the time the four of them made it down to the baths, they found Mori and Hunny already soaking in the hot springs. "Hello Mori-senpai, Hunny-senpai," Kyoya smirked as he saw the two men in the water.

"Hi Kyo-Chan!" Hunny beamed.

"Hey, do you two know what happened to Tono?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked at the same time. They noticed that when Tamaki walked into the water, he steered clear of Hunny.

"I don't have a clue. What about you Takashi?" Hunny giggled, but turned a hard stare at the blonde making himself at home on the other side of the large bath.

Mori shook his head. He knew what happened, Hunny had just told him the whole story, but instead of ratting his cousin out, he said, "Hm, no."

When Tamaki caught the look that Hunny had sent his way, he yelped and dove under the water. When he couldn't hold his breath any longer, he came up sputtering.

"You moron, what do you think you are doing? This is not a swimming pool," Kyoya glared at Tamaki.

Screeching, "Sorry Mommy!" Tamaki leaned back against the seat he had found and tried not to catch the eye of Hunny or Kyoya again. He was going to be a rock, a boring unmoving rock.

Rolling his eyes, Kyoya found a place for him to sit and observe everything around him. He knew that whatever was going on with Tamaki had something to do with Hunny, which meant that it probably had something to do with Mori and Haruhi, scratch that… mainly Haruhi. He also knew when the twins were getting revved up for either teasing Tamaki or pulling some sort of prank, and he could tell it was coming soon. From his position, he could watch everything unfold and enjoy the show.

It wasn't long in coming; the twins took their places, one on each side of Tamaki and started their provoking. "Hey Tono, so what did you try to do to Haruhi?" Kaoru asked with an evil upward turn of his mouth.

"Yah, I mean we did find you outside of her door, boss," Hikaru smirked.

"Were you trying to be a pervert again?" They asked together.

"I was not!" Tamaki yelled erratically.

"Let us guess, you tried to get her to bathe with you," Hikaru and Kaoru spoke in a sing song menacing voice.

Tamaki looked from one twin to the other and finally stood up quickly to get away from them, "There is nothing wrong with a father and daughter bathing together!"

The twins' jaws dropped open. They had only been joking around and didn't really expect that is what Tamaki had done or intended to do. Hikaru stood up with fists at his sides and marched over to where Tamaki stood, "What do you mean by that? You are not her father and yes, there is something wrong with it now that she isn't a little girl! You really are a pervert!"

Kaoru didn't advance, but he was still shocked and peeved at his king, "You can't do that Tono! She isn't a child, and more importantly, she isn't your child. Not even Ranka could be in the baths with her right now!" He was normally the calm twin and could handle his emotions, but right now he wanted to knock Tamaki's head off.

Kyoya expected that Tamaki had tried to escort Haruhi or said something to her and one of the cousins or Haruhi herself had retaliated. He was stunned that Tamaki had actually planned to bath with her. Under his breath he growled, "Tamaki you really are an idiot! I am going to have to have a little talk with you later." Some things just went too far, and that was one of them. Glancing at Mori, he could tell the older man wasn't exactly happy about Tamaki's outburst. In fact, by the tightness of his jaw, Kyoya would say that Mori was trying to stay calm and not do anything rash.

After soaking for about thirty minutes, everyone decided that it was time to get out and get some dinner. As they were headed back to the elevator, they saw Haruhi walking towards them leaving the female dressing room.

Tamaki reacted instantly and tried to run up to his "daughter", but a hand gripping his arm painfully, stopped him, "Kyoya?"

Looking at everyone, he gave a small host smile and said, "You guys go on ahead. Let's meet down here in 30 minutes and we will get dinner. I just have business to attend to with our king." When the others got on the elevator, he turned to Tamaki, and sneered, "Do you have a death wish?"

"Why did you stop me from hugging our daughter?" Tamaki asked confused.

"Really? After your little confession in the hot spring, I am surprised Mori-senpai hasn't killed you. You will leave Haruhi alone. She has a boyfriend! It is not appropriate to bathe with her or even suggest something like that. If she doesn't want you to touch her, don't. If she doesn't want you to escort her, don't. Do not try to do anything that could upset either Mori-senpai or Haruhi!"

"But Kyoya, she is our daughter and I was just trying to take care of her!" Tamaki cried.

"She doesn't need you to take care of her. Now stop your sniveling and let's go upstairs and get changed. You will behave like a gentleman and a host, and not a crazy overprotective father!" Kyoya leered.

"Yes, mommy!" Tamaki whimpered as he stopped sobbing. When they met thirty minutes later, Tamaki did not try to glop Haruhi, but he did ask, "Did you have fun in the water my beautiful daughter?" Well, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Narrowing her eyes on Tamaki, she answered, "Yah, I did. It was very relaxing. Did you have fun?"

"Oh my God you are so cute!" Tamaki yelled before he grabbed and hugged her. Yah, he can only control himself for so long.

"Let me go or I will throw you again!" Haruhi screamed over his gushing.

The words Haruhi said registered in Tamaki's brain and he immediately dropped her. Unfortunately he was holding her up in the air and she landed on her butt. When he tried to help her up, she swatted his hand away. "But Haruhi, I am sorry. I was just helping you up!" He whined.

"I don't need your help," Haruhi grumbled. She felt herself lifted into the air and knew that Mori was helping her to her feet, "Thank you Takashi."

"You let him help you, but not me?" Tamaki sobbed.

"He didn't drop me on the floor like you did and he always helps me. You on the other hand cause me a lot of grief," Haruhi stated bluntly.

Screaming, "My daughter hates me!" Tamaki found a dark corner to begin his pouting ritual.

Upon seeing Tamaki run to the corner, the twins followed in order to tease him, Haruhi rolled her eyes, and Kyoya shook his head. This was typical in the lives of the club and Mori could no more react to that than he could when Tamaki swooped in and tried to swing his girlfriend around. Hunny just giggled because this was standard operating procedure. Haruhi was blunt as always and then Tamaki would run to his corner: he always had a corner.

"Haruhi, if you will get Tamaki out of his corner, we can go to dinner," Kyoya stated pushing his glasses up his nose. There were a couple of things he knew: Haruhi could always get Tamaki out of his corner faster than anyone and Mori probably wasn't happy with his request.

Sighing, Haruhi walked over to Tamaki with Mori right on her heels. She stopped about five paces away from the dark zone and muttered, "I don't hate you. You are a good friend. I just don't like you embracing me like you do. I like air too much. So how about you come out of the corner and we can go get some food."

Tamaki lifted his head from his knees and saw Haruhi standing just a few feet away from him. When she said that he was a good friend, his mood lightened. When she held out her hand to coax him out of his corner to get dinner, he flew out of the corner and threw his arms around her, "You love me!" Within seconds he was once again Haruhi-less and looking around he saw Mori placing his girlfriend behind his back, "Mori-senpai, you didn't have to do that. I was just showing my daughter affection."

"No, she doesn't like that. It was either I save her or you would find yourself on the floor again," Mori scowled.

"Haruhi wouldn't do that to me again," Tamaki stated softly. Turning his attention towards Haruhi, he asked, "Would you?"

"In a heartbeat senpai!" Haruhi smiled sweetly.

Laughing, the twins walked up to Haruhi and wrapped their arms around her. They were doing it to provoke Tamaki, but Kaoru let go when he noticed a menacing aura coming from the girl in his arms, "Hikaru, I think it is enough teasing. Let go so that we can get some grub."

"What do you mean? She won't do anything…" Hikaru started, but he was interrupted.

Frowning, Haruhi stated simply, "Let go or I will do to you what I did to Tamaki."

"Whatever, you wouldn't do that to me. I am one of your best friends," Hikaru grinned and to prove a point hugged her even tighter. However, within moments, Hikaru found himself looking up at the ceiling and a bunch of faces coming into his view from above him.

"I told you to let me go," Haruhi smirked.

Hikaru couldn't believe it; Haruhi actually threw him to the ground. One minute he was hugging her and the next he got an elbow to his stomach and was flipped. "You, you, you…" he was in shock.

"Yes, I threw you like I warned you I would if you did not let go. You didn't listen, so I defended myself," Haruhi said with a straight face.

Kaoru helped his brother up, but couldn't help the small snicker that escaped him. Haruhi had warned Hikaru and when he didn't listen, she took matters into her own hands. It served him right and it was his own fault, "Sorry Hikaru, but you deserved that."

"What do you mean I deserved that? I am not a pervert like the boss!" Hikaru grumbled.

"No, but I did tell you to let go. Let's get one thing straight, I am learning to defend myself and I will against anyone and everyone. If I warn you to let go and you don't, then I will do what I can to make you let me go. Tamaki, Hikaru, I will keep protecting myself when I need to, so if you think that this is for show, it isn't. Got it?"

Both teens looked defeated and mumbled, "We got it."

"Good, now let's go to dinner. I am hungry," Haruhi smiled and laced her fingers with Mori's before following Kyoya towards their destination.

Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, and Hunny watched as Haruhi walked off holding Mori's hand. Hunny laughed at his friends, "You should see your faces right now, but she is serious. She will do what she needs to do and she will continue her training. Let's go eat!"

"New Haruhi is scary Haruhi," Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki muttered simultaneously before following Hunny and the others to the restaurant.

The rest of the vacation was spent in relative harmony with each other. Hikaru only had to be thrown one more time before he really caught on. Tamaki on the other hand, got to know what the ceiling looked like at least six more times that weekend. The others were smart enough to learn from the mistakes of Hikaru and Tamaki.


	24. And The Oscar Goes To

**A/N: Tamaki just doesn't learn. Hopefully after all of the times he was thrown, it has finally started to sink in, but then again… maybe not. He does seem to have lapses of memory when he gets into daddy mode. LOL. We are going to start wrapping up this story soon, but don't worry, we have a few more chapters to go. Enjoy and please review if you can.**

Chapter 24 – And the Oscar Goes To…

Vacation was finally over with and Haruhi was back in her own home. The whole club (Tamaki and the twins) had insisted on escorting her home, which meant that she was not free from them until they left. Thankfully they stayed for one cup of tea before everyone by Mori left. Collapsing against the door, she caught the smile of her boyfriend standing by the stove watching her. "You know I could make you leave also," she muttered as she started to rub her shoulder.

Furrowing his brow, Mori inquired, "What's wrong?"

Haruhi looked up at her boyfriend a little surprised, "Huh? Oh, I think all of that throwing made my muscles sore. I wasn't expecting to work out that much. I mean seriously, you would think they would have learned after the first time."

"Come here," Mori gestured for her to move towards him.

Haruhi went over to Mori without question and when she stood in front of him, she asked, "Are you going to make it feel better?"

"Yah. Turn around," Mori instructed and when her back was facing him, he started to rub her sore shoulders. _"She probably over did it this weekend. She had not warmed up or stretched out before she had to deal with Tamaki and Hikaru. Plus the number of times she had to deal with them is enough to make anyone sore," _Mori said to himself.

Sighing in pleasure, Haruhi stated, "This feels awesome. Can you continue to do this for the rest of my life?" She let her head drop down and she was resting her chin on her chest.

Mori stiffened momentarily wondering if she realized what she had said. He knew that she meant the massage, but he knew that he wanted to be with her for the rest of their lives. Clearing his throat, he decided to test the waters, "Haruhi you know I love you right?"

"Of course I do Takashi."

"You know I have my survival test coming up after I graduate."

"Yep."

"What do you think about that?"

"What do I think about the test? I hope you pass it and come back in one piece. Why?"

Mori shook his head. It appeared that he was going to have to get blunter, "You know that I can get engaged after I pass the test."

Haruhi's head popped up. Did this mean that he wanted to get engaged when he came back? Hesitantly she stated, "I know that."

"I don't have to get engaged, but I can. I was wondering what you thought about that," Mori hinted at their future.

Turning around slowly to face her boyfriend, Haruhi furrowed her brow and probed, "Are you saying that you want to get engaged to someone when you pass the test?"

Resting his hands on her shoulders, Mori looked at her in the eye and answered her truthfully, "I am saying that I love you and I know that I see a future with you at my side. So what I am asking is do you see the same thing?"

The light bulb finally went off in her brain. "Oh, I got it now. Sorry, I would like to blame my slowness on the fact that the club exhausted me this weekend," Haruhi teased. Smiling she gave him the answer he had been seeking, "Yes, I see the same thing. I don't know if I am ready to get engaged right now, but I know that I love you and want to spend my life with you."

Shaking his head and chuckling, Mori leaned down and gave her a small kiss, "Good."

"So your parents are ok if you propose to me, a mere commoner?" Haruhi smirked. She knew that his parents loved her, but the others in the club seemed to dwell on her economic upbringing.

Mori smiled and nodded his head, "They love you and they would be happy if I did marry you. Actually they may disown me if I don't." He was joking and she knew it, but it made her beam and that smile took his breath away.

"Well, we can't have that; now can we? I guess there is no hope for it, you will have to propose after you pass your test," Haruhi winked and giggled.

Leaning down to kiss her, he pulled back when they were both breathless, "I fully intend to. I love you."

"I love you too Takashi," Haruhi whispered before she stretched to kiss him again.

The next morning, Haruhi walked out of her apartment to find Mori waiting for her. She rushed over to him and threw herself in his arms, "Good morning!" She wasn't sure why, but she had woken up in an excellent mood and ready to face the world.

"Morning," Mori greeted her chuckling. He gave her a small kiss before helping her into the car.

As Haruhi took her seat and buckled herself in, she smiled at the third person in the car, "Good morning Hunny-senpai!"

Giggling, Hunny could tell that Haruhi was in an excellent mood, "Good morning Haru-Chan!"

"What are you doing tonight Haruhi?" Mori asked his girlfriend.

"Nothing as far as I know. I don't have training until tomorrow, so I am free tonight. Why?" Haruhi thought about it for a moment before she inquired.

"My parents are inviting you over for dinner," Mori explained.

"Ok, I can come with you, but I didn't pack anything to wear," Haruhi responded.

Blushing a bit, Mori stated, "You left a dress at my place the weekend you stayed over. You can wear that tonight."

"Ok, thanks Takashi," Haruhi grinned. She really was in a good mood and she didn't think anything could destroy it.

As the car pulled up to the entrance of the school, the three inhabitants of the car got out and Haruhi was immediately glopped, "Haruhi! I missed you so much. Did you miss daddy?"

"Tamaki-senpai, I just saw you yesterday so how could I possibly miss you?" Haruhi groaned sarcastically.

"But Haruhi, I missed you last night!" Tamaki pouted.

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi stated, "Let me go right now or you know what will happen." Before Tamaki could decide what he was going to do, Haruhi was lifted into the air and found herself free of the over enthusiastic host club king.

"Mori-senpai, I was just saying good morning to my daughter!" Tamaki cried.

"No, you have done enough," Mori declared in his deep timbre.

Haruhi laughed and then pulled on the back of Mori's uniform jacket, "I will see you later. I have a quiz first period and I need to review my notes."

Nodding, Mori watched his girlfriend enter the building and walk off towards her classroom. When she was gone, he turned to Tamaki and said, "You need to stop. She doesn't like it when you do that stuff and I am tired of it too. She will keep throwing you and will do anything it takes to get away from you. She doesn't want to hurt you, but it might happen by accident."

"What do you mean Mori-senpai?" Tamaki asked confused (he really is clueless).

Mori looked at Hunny and sweat dropped. Was Tamaki really that ignorant? Returning his gaze to the younger man, Mori spoke, "When she throws you to the ground, it can hurt you. She doesn't want to hurt you, but in the end if you do not leave her alone, you will inevitably be hurt." He couldn't believe that he had to explain this to him.

"My daughter wouldn't hurt me though," Tamaki declared so sure of what he was saying.

Mori was about to say something else, but Kyoya spoke up before he could, "Tamaki does it feel good when she uses you for a practice dummy?"

"Well no," Tamaki answered truthfully.

"Then why would you want to keep doing that to yourself? Every time you try to hug her and she doesn't want your advances, she will defend herself. Some would think that you are a masochist the way that you want to keep being punished," Kyoya said.

Hikaru started sniggering, "So what you are saying is…"

Kaoru was snickering also and picked up where Hikaru left off, "The boss really is…"

"Perverted," they finished together falling to the ground laughing.

Mori did not like the comparison and frowned. Hunny saw the look on his cousin's face and tried to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand, "Tama-Chan, I think it is best if you stay away from Haru-Chan for now. Do not try to hug her or anything like that." The short man was smiling and had flowers surrounding him.

"You want me to stop hugging my daughter?!" Tamaki gasped.

"In that whole conversation, that is the one thing you picked up on?" Kyoya inquired shaking his head and pushing up his glasses. "Leave her alone Tamaki unless you want to keep experiencing pain," he ordered.

"Pervert!" The twins exclaimed loud enough for only the hosts to hear, but not loud enough for the other students.

"GAH!" Tamaki yelled and ran to find a corner.

"Tama-Chan just doesn't get it," Hunny sighed.

"And we thought Haruhi was slow," Hikaru and Kaoru muttered simultaneously.

Mori was less than impressed and had not really said anything in order to allow Haruhi to deal with Tamaki, but it was more than apparent that Tamaki was not backing off. He really hoped that today's little conversation sank in and the king would leave Haruhi alone going forward. Shaking his head and moving into the building, he somehow knew it was wishful thinking and that what Tamaki learned today would be forgotten tomorrow. He felt someone climbing up his back like a jungle gym and knew it was Hunny, "How many more times will she have to use him for practice before he learns?"

Giggling, Hunny said, "I don't know Takashi, but at least we know she can handle him now, and we are not done training her."

"True," Mori sighed as they continued to make their way to their class. When it came to Tamaki, there was no telling if he would ever truly stop his dramatics.

Tamaki surprisingly behaved during club activities and Haruhi did not have to use her new skills on him, but there were a few moments that were touch and go there for a minute. He still called her his daughter and he still tried to tell her what she could and could not do, but he did not try to give her his bone crushing hugs; and she only sent him to his corner or turned him to dust once. It was progress, at least for now.

Once club activities were done for the day and the room was cleaned, Haruhi, Mori, and Hunny made their way down to the waiting car. Other than Tamaki asking once to take her home, the trio was not delayed for their dinner engagement.

When they got to the estate, Satoshi and Chika were already there and seemed to be waiting for them. Haruhi didn't find it odd that they were there, but she did find it peculiar that they were awaiting their arrival, "What is going on?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Satoshi chuckled, "We were waiting to get a copy of the video. We have been trying to be patient, but now that you are here, we can watch the events that transpired this weekend."

"Hunny and Takashi have the video. You haven't watched it yet?" Haruhi asked.

"Well they said that we had to wait to watch it together, so we were waiting for them," Chika informed her.

"So you were waiting for all of us to get together before you gave them the video?" Haruhi inquired of her boyfriend and his small cousin.

"No, Haru-Chan. We just wanted to wait until they were both together before we gave them the video, but now that you are here, we can all watch it together!" Hunny exclaimed.

"You will need to wait until after dinner," Michiko Morinozuka stated from behind everyone, "Right now Takashi, Mitsukuni, and Haruhi need to get dressed for dinner. Haruhi dear I put your dress in the guest room you used the last time you were here."

"Thank you Morinozuka-san," Haruhi smiled and bowed to the matriarch of Mori's family.

Smiling fondly at the girl, she said, "You are quite welcome. We are glad that you could join us on such short notice."

There was something in her tone of voice that said this was more than just a simple dinner invitation. Looking a little confused, Haruhi asked, "Was there a reason I needed to come tonight?"

Giggling, Michiko answered, "Well, Akira and I were wondering about your training and were very curious about the video. We thought it would be nice for the star of the show to join us for the first viewing."

"Well, I am happy I was free," Haruhi laughed. She turned toward Mori who escorted her to the bedroom where her dress was waiting for her.

As soon as dinner was eaten, everyone made their way to the media room in order to watch the video Hunny and Mori made of their vacation, or more accurately of Haruhi's beat down of Tamaki and Hikaru. When everyone was seated, Haruhi turned to Mori and whispered, "Did you get all of them or just the first day?"

Hunny heard her question and started to laugh, "Oh no Haru-Chan, we got them all!"

"I would like to say that I am not normally a violent person," she prefaced before the video began.

That statement had everyone in the room laughing, and Satoshi smirked, "We know Haruhi, but we also know that Tamaki can make anyone lose their minds." His eyes cut to Chika for a split second and he heard the ringing laughter coming from Haruhi.

The mirth only increased as the movie played and by the end of it, everyone was in stitches. Haruhi had to admit that it was funny to see the faces of everyone when she took action. She had joined in the laughter and had to wipe away a few tears.

When the video ended, Akira turned towards Haruhi and complimented her, "You did well. Your form was perfect and you handled each situation excellently."

Blushing, Haruhi muttered, "Thank you Morinozuka-sama."

Mori ruffled Haruhi's hair and said, "I told you that you did well. We will start your kendo this weekend."

"Yasuchika and Mitsukuni, you have done a wonderful job of teaching her. Keep up the good work," Akira looked at his nephews. He would be calling his brother-in-law and informing him of the job his sons were doing with Haruhi.

"Thank you uncle," Chika and Hunny said together. It was high praise indeed, but they also knew that nothing less was expected of them as members of the Haninozuka family.

"Takashi dear, it is getting late and you have school tomorrow. Will you please escort Haruhi home?" Michiko suggested when she saw the young girl stifle a yawn.

Standing up and helping Haruhi to her feet, Mori bowed, "Of course mother."

After Haruhi gathered her things, the couple was on their way to her apartment. She was tucked into the side of Mori and fighting to stay awake. She wasn't sure why she was so tired, but the more comfortable she felt leaning against her boyfriend, the more she wanted to close her eyes. Yawning, she whispered, "I had fun tonight. Maybe we should do a special showing of that video for the host club."

Mori smirked, "Maybe." Both teens laughed and Mori pulled her tighter to him. It felt right to have her there and she fit him perfectly. "I think I might show it to Kyoya," he joked.

"I think you need to," Haruhi yawned again.

Smiling down at his girlfriend, he asked, "Do you have a lot of homework?"

"No, I have already worked ahead and they didn't assign any extra work today," Haruhi spoke quietly as she started to drift off.

Leaning down and giving the top of her head a kiss, Mori whispered, "Ok good." They were both silent on the remainder of the trip, one asleep and one enjoying the weight against his side.

When they pulled into the apartment complex, instead of waking Haruhi up, he grabbed her things and carried her up to the apartment. He had found her key before he got out of the car, so he was able to open her door without any problems. Carrying her to her bedroom, he laid her down and took off her shoes. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead, "I love you." Mori sat there for a few more minutes watching her sleep before he left to return to his own home part of him longing to stay with her, but he knew that one day soon that dream would come true.


	25. I Have an Idea, Cosplay!

**_THANK YOU EVERYONE! Another Chance won Ouran High School Host Club Best FanFiction of 2012. I want to say thank you to all of my readers and supporters. I couldn't have done it without you!_**

**A/N: Well it looks like progress is being made with Tamaki (we will see if it actually lasts), and Haruhi and Mori know where they stand with each other. Now everyone raise your hand if you want to see that video. I know you can't see it, but both of my hands are up. I see it in my head, but I would love to pop it up on my TV. LOL. Pause, rewind, and replay… over and over again. Enjoy the new chapter. THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING!**

Chapter 25 – I Have an Idea, Cosplay!

"HARUHI!" Tamaki screamed across the courtyard of Ouran as he saw his little girl walking towards the building to begin her day.

Hearing the cry of the king calling her name, she dropped her bag and got ready to take care of business if needed. Haruhi had woken up in a good mood that morning, not that it was hard to do after she received a confession from Mori and watched a hilarious home video. She was on cloud nine and enjoying every minute of it. She allowed her thoughts to wander to him and the previous night as she walked to school.

"MY DAUGHTER! Oh how I missing you," Tamaki gushed as he approached the object of his attention and immediately pulled her into a hug. He had gone too long without pulling her into his arms and the temptation was just too great, it was like a drug addict needing a fix. Forgetting all previous warning and flights of pain, he swung her around barely registering the fact that she was talking to him.

Haruhi knew that Tamaki would forget himself sooner or later, but she didn't expect that he would forget that quickly. "Senpai you need to put me down now!" She tried to yell over his loud mouth. Seeing that they were drawing a crowd, she tried one more time when she wasn't released, "Put me down right now Tamaki-senpai or I will force you to let go!" Still nothing, there was not hope for it then and she pulled her leg back and kicked him in the shin. When his grip loosened, she was able to free herself and grab his arm forcing him to go sailing overhead.

One minute Tamaki had Haruhi in his arms and the next minute he was looking up at the sky. She had used him as a practice dummy once again, "Haruhi why do you keep doing that to daddy?"

The crowd was unsure of what just happened or what was going on. There were some claps, probably from guys jealous of Tamaki and his host club, but there were also many gasps of disbelief. Everyone wondering, _"Is everything ok in the host club? Why did Haruhi just throw Tamaki? What is happening here?"_

"Thank you everyone for showing up to our surprise demonstration of defense tactics. We will be featuring them in an upcoming host club cosplay," Kyoya stated as he emerged out of the crowd with his host smile plastered on his face. Soon he heard the girls in the crowd start cooing and everyone was soon clapping and encouraging Tamaki and Haruhi to give another demonstration, "I am sorry, but that is the only demonstration for now. If you would like to see more, please come to the host club on Friday. Thank you everyone." When the crowd started to disperse, Kyoya walked up to Tamaki and crouched down talking so low that no one would overhear, "You have been warned and have gone sailing more times than I care to count. Have you not learned your lesson yet? Now get up off of the ground and smile while you are doing it. You have just put on a show and it was nothing more than that."

Tamaki gave a short nod to his best friend and stood up smiling his most dazzling smile for everyone around them. The girls screamed "MOE" and gushed surrounding him and pouring their attention out on him, "Thank you everyone. I am glad that you enjoyed this wonderful production. It was rather great, wasn't it? Our beautiful Haruhi was divine in his role as the defender."

Haruhi rolled her eyes as the crowd walked off to follow Tamaki and listen to his latest speech. He now had the crowd enraptured with tales about the new cosplay, and how everyone had been practicing just to get it perfect for the ladies. Watching as everyone seemed to follow Tamaki, Haruhi spoke to the man standing next to her, "Kyoya-senpai, do you think he will ever get it?"

"I don't know Haruhi, but I would appreciate it if you would refrain from killing him any time soon. We still need him for the club," Kyoya responded and pushed his glasses up. He shouldn't be surprised that Tamaki had reverted back to his old way, but he found himself a little shocked that he did it so soon after this past weekend and the warning from the two eldest hosts. Looking around for Mori and Hunny, he wondered if they had been witness to the spectacle this morning, "Haruhi, where are Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai?"

"Huh? Oh Takashi had an early morning kendo meeting and I am sure Hunny-senpai went with him. I walked to school. Why?" Haruhi stated.

Internally breathing a sigh of relief, Kyoya smirked on the outside, "No reason. I just figured that you would have been with them like you have been lately."

"Oh, not this morning. Well, I have to get to class and review my notes. I will see you at club time Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi said as she started to make her way towards the building.

As Haruhi started to quickly make her way to class, Kyoya pushed his glasses up and shook his head. He really wondered what it would take for Tamaki to learn that he could not just glop Haruhi any longer, "Leaving him a bloody mess might do it, but short of that Tamaki is still Tamaki and he doesn't know when to quit."

At lunch time, Mori went searching for Haruhi at her classroom. He had been hearing chatter all day about a host club demonstration and about the new cosplay that was happening on Friday. He knew instinctively that Haruhi and Tamaki had gone another round. Finding her in the classroom packing up her books, he walked over to her desk, "Are you ok?"

Haruhi had not heard anyone approach, so when she heard the deep baritone voice of her boyfriend, she jumped a little. Meeting his eyes, she ordered, "Would you please not sneak up on me?"

Grinning, Mori ruffled her hair, "I didn't think I was sneaking."

"Well you were because I didn't hear you come in," Haruhi giggled.

"I will keep that in mind," Mori said as he rolled his eyes. His girlfriend was not the most observant person in the world and therefore it was easy to get the drop on her.

Looking around the room and finding that they were truly alone, Haruhi reached up to grab his tie and pulled him down so that she could easily give him a quick kiss on the cheek, "What did you need?"

"What happened this morning? I keep hearing about this new cosplay we are doing and something about a defense demonstration between you and Tamaki."

"That baka! He grabbed me and started to swing me around again. So I did what I needed to do. Unfortunately we were in the courtyard at the time and there was a crowd. Kyoya-senpai was there and was able to diffuse the situation by saying that it was a precursor to a new cosplay we will be doing in the host club."

Sighing, Mori wondered if Tamaki would ever get a clue and when he examined the evidence, he concluded that it probably would not happen in this lifetime. At least Mori knew that Haruhi could take care of herself though, "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Luckily, I had some really good teachers," she smiled and winked at him.

"Training continues tonight?"

"Yes, I think Hunny is teaching me tonight because Chika has something going on. Will you be there?"

"Yes."

"Haru-Chan, Takashi, let's go eat lunch," Hunny yelled as he came bouncing into the room and attached himself to his tall cousin.

Haruhi started to laugh, "Ok, Hunny-senpai. Let's go eat lunch." She grabbed her bento and followed the two cousins out of the classroom.

During club time, the room was buzzing about the upcoming cosplay that the hosts were going to be doing on Friday. Tamaki was playing his role up, as were the twins. They had heard about it from Haruhi earlier in the day. The guests were eating it up and Kyoya could not be happier because it seemed as if their reservations for Friday had increased exponentially since the morning.

It was after club time that the hosts met to discuss this new turn of events. Kyoya started the meeting since he was the one who came up with the idea on the fly, "Due to recent events, we will be having a self-defense cosplay on Friday. It will require some demonstrations to be performed. I know that Haruhi has been working on karate and can safely flip someone. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai can do the same. All of you have some level of martial arts training, but I want the rest of you to concentrate on the basics. Mori-senpai, Hunny-senpai, can you two come up with something for each person to do? I don't want it to be too difficult since I suspect the ladies will want to learn some of the moves also."

"Not a problem Kyo-Chan!" Hunny declared, while his cousin grunted and nodded his agreement.

"Excellent! Including today, we have three days to make sure we are prepared for Friday. Hikaru, Kaoru, we will all need gi for the cosplay. Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai already have some, but the others will need one also."

"I have one too," Haruhi spoke up. If she was going to have to wear a gi for Friday and had the choice, she wanted to wear hers, the one that Mori gave her. Plus she would prefer not to increase her debt for any reason if she could help it. If something spilled on a new gi, she had a feeling that her debt would rise once again. If she spilled it on her gi, then it was no big deal.

Mori smiled at the girl next to him. It made him proud that she would want to wear the uniform he had given her when she started her training. Squeezing the hand that he held to tell her of his pleasure, he said, "If needed, you can wear the Haninozuka or Morinozuka insignia so that you do not have to come up with four new designs for everyone."

"That is a great idea Mori-senpai, that would decrease the time needed to complete the outfits. I believe we will need two of each. The twins can represent one, while Tamaki and I will represent the other. Haruhi, is yours a Morinozuka or a Haninozuka?" Kyoya inquired.

"Neither, it is a design that Takashi found for me," Haruhi explained.

"That will be fine then. We will have the dojos split evenly and Haruhi, as the star from this morning, will have her own design. Are there any other questions?"

"What if Chika and Satoshi were able to come and help with the demonstration?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya looked up and thought about what Haruhi proposed. It wasn't a bad idea and could be beneficial to have two more "masters" on hand in case something happened. Additionally, it would help with the added influx of customers that day. He turned his gaze to Hunny and Mori, "Our customer reservations have increased for Friday and it would be advantageous to have the additional help. Do you think your brothers would be willing to attend host club on Friday?"

"I don't think they have karate club this Friday so we can ask them," Hunny stated. He wasn't sure if Chika would be willing, but maybe if Haruhi asked, Chika would consider attending the host club and help with the demonstrations.

"Yah," Mori agreed. He knew Satoshi would be more than happy to attend, but the big question mark surrounded Chika.

"Let me know as soon as you talk to them. Is there anything else?" Kyoya asked. When everyone shook their heads and no one else spoke up, he declared that the meeting was over and everyone was dismissed.

"My precious daughter, do you need a ride home?" Tamaki cooed as he approached Haruhi. He was stopped from advancing any further when Hunny and Mori stood up next to her to protect her, "What? I was just offering my little girl a ride home. It is normal for daddies and daughters to ride home together. You shouldn't prevent our loving bond from developing."

"She has karate training tonight Tama-Chan," Hunny stated seriously.

"She does? Oh can daddy come and watch his little baby learning new things? I am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished," Tamaki babbled excitedly.

"No," Haruhi said simply.

"But Haruhi, I want to support you and all of your endeavors," Tamaki started to whine.

"No way in hell," Haruhi declared.

"Mommy, Haruhi isn't letting me watch her training!" Tamaki cried.

Kyoya rolled his eyes, "I think you have been witness to enough of her training, don't you Tamaki? Leave her alone."

"Mommy and daughter are so mean! I just want to watch. I promise to be quiet," Tamaki pouted and started to walk towards his corner shooting puppy dog eyes at Haruhi periodically. It didn't work though because she wasn't looking at him.

Watching Tamaki, Mori suggested that Haruhi get her things from the back room so that they could go. When she was out of the room, he walked up to Tamaki, "You need to stop because she will not stop throwing you. She will only get stronger and you can get hurt. You do not need to be there and she does not want you at her lessons. Leave it alone." As he heard the door to the back room open once again, Mori made his way over to Haruhi and took her bag from her. Looking around for his cousin, he saw Hunny polishing off the last slice of cake, "Mitsukuni, are you ready?"

"Yep! That was the last of it. Let's go!" Hunny jumped up excitedly with his bunny in his arms and ran for the door.

After they finished training for the night, Haruhi turned to Hunny, "Do you want me to ask Chika about Friday?"

Hunny had been thinking about the best way to approach his brother and he was not sure what to do. He felt like he should be the one to ask, but he also knew that Haruhi would probably have a greater chance at success if she were the one to ask. Smiling at her, he suggested, "What about if we both asked him together?"

"Ok, that sounds like a plan. Takashi, were you able to get in touch with Satoshi?" Haruhi asked as she turned to her boyfriend.

"Yah, he is not going to tell Yasuchika until Mitsukuni is able to talk to him, but Satoshi will help us on Friday," Mori replied.

"Well, at least we have one of the two secured," Haruhi chuckled.

Their conversation was interrupted by one of the very people they had been discussing, "It is almost dinner time. Haruhi, my mom is expecting you to stay if you can."

"I can do that. Thank you Chika," Haruhi smiled and gave a small nudge to Hunny.

"Chika-Chan, Haruhi and I need to ask you for a favor," Hunny started and shot a nervous look at the girl standing next to him.

Haruhi took that as her cue, "The host club is doing a self-defense cosplay on Friday and we were hoping that you and Satoshi would help us with demonstrations and by attending club time that day."

Chika had a horrified look on his face. The last thing he ever wanted to do was become a host, "I am not now, nor will I ever be a host!"

"You have it wrong Chika-Chan. You are not becoming a host, but we could use the help on Friday. Haru-Chan flipped Tama-Chan again this morning and in order to break up the crowd, Kyo-Chan said it was a demonstration for a cosplay that the host club is doing," Hunny explained.

"I don't host girls," Chika muttered.

Mori narrowed his eyes on his cousin. There was one thing that might sway him besides being beaten with a shinai by Satoshi, "You will get to see Haruhi use the skills that you taught her on the other hosts."

Chika's eyes widened and he turned towards Mori, "Really?"

Knowing that he was seriously considering it now, Mori continued, "Mitsukuni and I are in charge of the demonstration. I can assure you that you will see her in action live instead of on the screen. What do you think?"

"Will you really be participating?" Chika asked Haruhi.

"I can guarantee it," she promised.

Grumbling to himself for a minute, Chika finally agreed, "Fine, I will help out on Friday, but this is a one-time thing and I am only coming to see Haruhi practice her new skills. I want to be sure that she is doing everything properly. I am coming as an instructor and nothing more."

The three hosts looked at each other on the verge of laugher at Chika's declaration. Haruhi bowed and said, "Thank you Chika. We really appreciate this."

Hunny wanted to hug his brother, but knew that Chika would clock him for trying anything like that, "Yay! Thank you Chika-Chan!"

Walking up to his cousin, Mori ruffled Chika's hair, "You do honor to the Haninozuka dojo by helping with the demonstrations and making sure your student is well trained."

"Hai!" Chika started to blush at the praise and turned around the exit the dojo, "Dinner is about ready. You may want to get changed and come into the house."

When Chika was gone and they were sure that he could not hear them, Hunny and Haruhi fell over with laughter. Mori chuckled, but he was more controlled than the other two were. They had won the small battle and the younger generation could be counted on for their expertise and help. Now they just had to hope that Chika and Hunny did not take their fighting too far in front of the ladies. This was going to be an interesting cosplay to say the least.


	26. It's All an Act RIGHT?

**A/N: Mtnikolle… I think your count is going to be blown out of the water due to the cosplay. We can count those, right? LOL. Chika and Satoshi are both on board for the cosplay which means, Tamaki could be in danger. Hmmm, maybe Kyoya should have paramedics or a doctor waiting in the wings just in case. HAHA! Ok, so here is the next chapter… ENJOY!**

Chapter 26 – It's All an Act… RIGHT?

Once Kyoya had confirmation that the younger generation of Haninozuka and Morinozuka would be joining the festivities on Friday, he got to work making sure everything was arranged and prepared for their guests. Although it had been a spur of the moment idea, it was turning out quite profitable for the club and he couldn't complain at all. Tamaki by being a dolt actually provided a brilliant idea to increase customers and profit margin. It was a good week indeed.

On Wednesday and Thursday, after club time was completed, Mori and Hunny went through different moves and skill sets for Kyoya, Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru to demonstrate and teach to the customers. Haruhi was there on Wednesday to practice some of the basics and go through some of the throws she would be demonstrating, but on Thursday she worked on her normal training with Satoshi and Chika. Hunny did give them some things to work on for Friday; however, they basically stuck to their normal training routine. Everyone was ready for the demonstration and cosplay; they just wished they knew who Mori and Hunny decided was going to be Haruhi's practice dummy for the day.

Friday had finally arrived and the girls were giddy with anticipation. Every chance they got they would crowd around any of the hosts that they were within close distance of and excitedly talk about the upcoming demonstration. They couldn't control themselves and by the end of the day, each host had been swarmed by girls multiple times. The only two participating in host club activities that got a reprieve were Chika and Satoshi, and that is only because they were surprise guests and not normal hosts. If it had been announced that they were going to be there, it was almost assured that they would have been attacked also.

All of the hosts made their way to music room three without dallying too long after their last class. There were a couple of last minute details to go over and everyone had to change before they welcomed their customers. Unfortunately, a crowd had already gathered around the entrance the music room and the hosts had to fight to get through a mob of teenage girls with hearts in their eyes who were already stoking the flames of MOE.

One by one the hosts and their guest hosts finally made it through the horde of girls. The twins and Haruhi were the last to arrive, and when they finally shoved their way through and were able to shut the door, they collapsed onto each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

Shrieking when he saw Haruhi fall on top of Hikaru and Kaoru land on top of Haruhi, Tamaki yelled, "What do you two think you are doing with your sister. Get away from my little girl you evil doppelgangers! Don't worry Haruhi, daddy will save you!" He quickly grabbed Haruhi and pulled her away from the twins and into his own arms effectively knocking the wind out of her.

Attempting to push Tamaki away and escape without hurting him before the demonstration, she spoke calmly and in a raised voice, although it was a little breathless due to lack of oxygen, "You are not my father and you need to put me down! Let go! We need to get ready for our customers!"

Tamaki paused briefly and dropped Haruhi to the floor as he continued to spin about the room, "Oh you are right. We can't let the throngs of princesses that came to see me wait much longer. Don't worry my darlings we will be ready for you soon and then you can bask in my beauty."

When Chika and Satoshi watched Tamaki drop Haruhi to the ground, they immediately ran over to her to help her up since they were closer than Hunny and Mori. They both grinned at the glare she was shooting the king of the Host Club, and Satoshi asked, "Are you alright Haruhi-senpai?"

"I don't understand why you didn't take him to the floor just then," Chika grumbled.

Looking up at her helpers, she smiled a mischievous smile and everyone in the room thought it rivaled the twins, "Because if I did that, then he may not be able to continue during Host Club; and besides we have the whole hosting period to for that kind of fun." Haruhi left her friends standing there as she went to the back to get changed into her gi. There was a limited amount of time before the doors opened and Hunny and Mori still needed to meet with everyone.

As soon as everyone was gathered and dressed, Hunny called everyone over, "Ok, all of you have been given your assignments on what to demonstrate and what you can teach the ladies. Tama-Chan, please don't go off on your own script and do anything we have not told you to do. Okay?" Hunny was looking adorable with pink puff balls floating around his head, but there was a hard undercurrent to his statement and no one missed it, well maybe one.

"My dear Hunny-senpai, I have no idea what you are talking about. I know how to play my role to perfection as always," Tamaki gushed.

"Tamaki, I believe he gave you that warning due to what you did yesterday. I suggest that if he or Mori-senpai did not show it to you, you don't do it," Kyoya leered as he pushed up his glasses and creating a glare with the lights.

A very loud inhalation of air could be heard from Tamaki, "Mommy, you know I am only doing this for the ladies."

"Yes, well if Hunny-senpai had not stopped you last night, you could have hurt Hikaru causing us to be down one twincest act," Kyoya glared.

"It was a simple punch, nothing else. Hikaru could have blocked it! Besides, we were just playing around last night. Today is the real show!" Tamaki stated as he was once again starting to become a drama queen, (sorry I mean king).

Giving Tamaki is full glare now, Kyoya ordered, "Be that as it may, you will not do anything that Hunny-senpai or Mori-senpai have not told you to do. What if you hit a customer this time since they will most assuredly be crowded around the hosts today? No one will go off script with the demonstration aspect of this cosplay. You of course are free to adlib your normal lines and such for the ladies."

No one wanted to argue with Kyoya and that included Tamaki. Clearing his throat, Tamaki agreed with everything that Kyoya said, "Of course Mon Ami! No one is to go off script and we need to be sure we are careful of our precious princesses. Make sure you do everything that Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai has shown us and no more! We have to make this cosplay one of our best yet, and of course my dear little baby girl is the star of the show today. Oh daddy could just eat you up you look so cute in your little karate uniform!" Tamaki ran over to embrace her, but was blocked by two middle school third years, "I think you need to get out of my way so that I can be with my little girl."

"I think you need to shut up and pay attention to my brother and Takashi. This meeting isn't over with and I am sure the crowd is growing outside. If you want to be sent to the floor so bad, you can wait until the doors open," Chika sneered.

"I think you have that wrong, she isn't going to throw me. She has already shown me everything she has learned, so she doesn't want to do anything to me any longer," Tamaki explained in a tone of voice that gave the impression he was talking to a four year old.

Chika looked over a Haruhi and Satoshi and watched as both of them took a step back. Giving them a small shake to his head to tell them that he wasn't going to do anything yet, he turned his stare back to Tamaki, "You need to leave her alone for right now and pay attention to what is going on right now. It is not daddy/daughter time, not that it will ever be for you and Haruhi-senpai."

"He is right. We are not done here," Mori stated simply.

"Tono is trying to manhandle Haruhi again," Hikaru sniggered and heard his brother join in his laughter.

"I AM NOT!" Tamaki screamed.

"ENOUGH!" Another yell rent the air.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Hunny. Gone were the flowers and cute loli shota, and taking his place was the serious martial arts master. Kyoya raised an eyebrow while studying the shorter man in front of him. Tamaki and the twins started to shake and cower afraid that their lives may be in danger. Haruhi's eyes grew as she looked at the dramatic change in her friend. The others in the room just looked at Hunny and urged him to continue quickly while it was still quiet.

"To continue, no one is to go off script because we will have a full house and I don't want anyone to get hurt. We have tatami mats set up to one side where the more aggressive demonstrations will be happening and the section is roped off so that none of the girls can get too close. That is the only place anyone can get more aggressive and use full speed. Am I clear?" Hunny declared in all seriousness. When he had everyone's agreement, the smile was once again on his face and the pink puffballs were once again floating, "Good! Now since Tama-Chan was part of the initial reason for having this cosplay, Haru-Chan will be doing her throwing demonstration on him. Takashi, Chika-Chan, and Sato-Chan will also take turns in that area doing demonstrations. Kyo-Chan, Hika-Chan, and Kao-Chan, if you would like to have Haru-Chan use you for her demonstration let me know now."

_"It is like Jekyll and Hyde," _Haruhi said to herself as she witnessed the transformation once again into the cute Hunny so many people knew and loved.

"I do believe that the rest of us are quite comfortable with just observing and sticking to the script you gave us Hunny-senpai," Kyoya answered for him and the twins. Seeing the nods of agreement from Hikaru and Kaoru confirmed what he had already known, the twins did not want to provoke Haruhi and get hurt again. Hikaru had already learned his lesson and had felt what it was like to be taken down by the small girl and would prefer not to relive it. Kyoya smirked and thought to himself, _"Now if only Tamaki would learn his lesson, but I guess that is too much to ask."_

"Ok then. To make sure everything is going smoothly, when they are not using the large area, Chika-Chan and Sato-Chan will be walking around the room and making sure everyone is doing everything the right way and staying safe," Hunny explained.

"Thank you Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai for all of your hard work to make this cosplay successful. Thank you also to Yasuchika and Satoshi for your help today. We do appreciate your time," Kyoya said politely.

"You're welcome. We wanted to be sure our student was using proper technique," Chika replied.

Satoshi snickered, "Among other things."

Haruhi elbowed Satoshi in his side to keep him quiet. The last thing she wanted was for this meeting to be any longer and cause a delay in the doors opening. That could be detrimental to her debt, "Shhh."

Mori eyed his brother standing next to Haruhi and rolled his eyes slightly, "Does anyone have any questions?"

When no one spoke up, Hunny declared, "Then let's get into positions to greet the ladies!" He gazed at Tamaki and Kyoya and a sheepish expression appeared on his face, "Um, sorry."

Kyoya hid his amusement behind his hand as he pushed up his glasses, "You are correct Hunny-senpai."

"Oh yes, Hunny-senpai! Let us welcome all of our beautiful princesses. We don't want to keep the waiting any longer!" Tamaki stated with a regal flourish.

The hosts got into position and Kyoya pushed a button on a remote that he held. The doors to music room 3 opened wide and the horde of girls moved forward anxious to see their favorite hosts and a spectacle that was sure to blow their minds. Hearts pounding and squeals erupting from their mouths, the girls were hard pressed to remember their breeding and manners which prevented them from stampeding and injuring the others in the crowd.

Since Chika and Hunny had put off their fight when they first saw each other, they were the first pairing in the large fighting area. The night before the brothers discussed what would happen during club time the next day. Hunny didn't want to delay the opening of the club so that they could fight, but he knew that they would need to battle at some point in time. It was decided that they would temporarily post pone their fight until Host Club opened its doors and started for the day.

"Welcome ladies," all of the hosts said together.

Chika rolled his eyes at the way the girls gushed and screamed when the seven hosts gave their opening line. He couldn't believe that anyone would react that way to his brother or any of the others, especially since one of them was a girl. Making his way over to the tatami mats in the roped off section, Chika got ready to defeat Hunny for the first time in his life.

As the other hosts welcomed their regulars, Hunny stepped into the "ring" to face his brother. He was ready to defend himself and to once again teach Chika who was stronger, "Are you ready Yasuchika?"

"It isn't me that needs to be ready Mitsukuni," Chika sneered and immediately attacked.

The fight actually did not last that long. After a few punches and kicks, Chika brought out a pair of nunchucks and took a few swings at Hunny causing the girls to gasp worried that the smallest host might get hurt. There was not need to fret though because Hunny countered with a long bow and was able to knock Chika onto his back. The younger Haninozuka was able to get up, but before he could get momentum going with his nunchucks, Hunny was able to use his long bow and swing himself around to kick his little brother sending Chika flying around the mats. There was just enough section roped off that Chika landed within its confines and was defeated yet again.

Girls crowded around the area where Chika landed to offer him encouragement and tell him how cute they thought he was. They loved the "demonstration" and found that they were drawn to the 3rd year middle school student.

Groaning Chika got up from the floor and gave a small bow to his brother to admit his defeat and go with the theme of the day. He looked around the room and found Haruhi making her way around the room offering tea and snacks to their guests. It was her turn to take care of Tamaki.

When he saw that the fight was done, Satoshi went to get Haruhi and escort her to the fight area. Mori walked up to Tamaki and informed him that it was time for the "special demonstration" with Haruhi. Tamaki must have forgot what it consisted of because he was seen running and screaming for his precious daughter as he went towards the ring.

Stepping into the roped off area, Haruhi took a deep breath. She knew that this time it wasn't just to defend herself against an overdramatic "daddy", but it would be more like it was during training sessions; however, plans change. Tamaki was running towards her and screeching like a banshee, arms whipping around as he approached the female host quickly. Haruhi got ready and as soon as Tamaki reached her, she grabbed his arm and threw him overhead. Within seconds he was sprawled out on the mats and getting reacquainted with the ceiling.

Applause filled the room when Haruhi took Tamaki down. The girls loved the exposition and could not get enough of seeing the hosts in this new light. The addition of Satoshi and Chika just made their time that much better. The flames of MOE were climbing higher and higher.

Tamaki got up off of the floor and turned towards Haruhi, "Why did you do that? I thought you called me."

"Did you forget what this was?" Haruhi inquired. She wanted to face palm, but settled for a small eye roll.

Looking around him, Tamaki seemed to come back to himself and realized what was going on, "Oh. Oh, of course." He got up off of the floor and bowed.

When Haruhi started to "fight" Tamaki, everyone seemed to want to crowd around the area to witness the Host Club king and the natural host's match. It really was no contest because Haruhi was able to get the drop on Tamaki a total of five times before he decided he had enough and walked out of the ropes. A gaggle of girls surrounded him to give him their sympathy and ply him with their love.

As the other hosts gathered their customers again, Mori and Satoshi made their way to the mats. It was time for the last major demonstration of the day. The brothers started out simple and slow, but by the end of the fight, their moves were quick and powerful; both demonstrating how skilled they both were at fighting. In the end, Mori won and Satoshi was proud of his big brother. Mori was his idol after all.

Haruhi had watched the Morinozuka brothers' fight, so excited about the fact that her man won. Walking around the room once the match was completed, Haruhi was offering the guests some more tea and cake. As she got closer and closer to Tamaki's area, her body tensed and she felt like she was ready to spring at a moment's notice. That is what being around Tamaki did to her, but today it was needed.

Tamaki saw Haruhi walking towards his area with her cart and jumped up, "HARUHI! You did so well today! I am so proud of you!" He tried to grab her, but he was tripped and then pushed to the ground.

Taking mental note of the size of the crowd around them and the fact and the proximity of all of the customers, Haruhi quickly decided that throwing Tamaki would not be the best option. Instead she ducked and did a sweeper kick to trip him and then pushed him to the ground. Standing up and dusting her hands off, she gave one last look at Tamaki before walking off and talking to the customers.

Another day came to a close in the host club and it was now time to say good bye to all of their customers. The girls groaned not wanting to leave, but they really had no choice in the matter. Kyoya spoke up when he noticed the hesitation, "Thank you all for coming. Please remember that the club will be open once again on Monday and we would love to see all of you again." This simple statement got the girls moving towards the doors as they dreamed of seeing their hosts again.

Closing the doors after the last customer, the nine remaining people gathered in the largest sitting area of the room. Tamaki was rubbing his sore muscles too tired to do anything more than sit down in a chair and smile at everyone. Mori was rubbing Haruhi's shoulder and was surprised that Tamaki didn't do anything, but noticing how the king was moving, he got his answers. The twins were congratulating each other about how wonderfully they did. Everyone else was quiet.

Kyoya approached the group and smirked at how tired and worn out his best friend looked. "We had a record breaking day today. Thank you everyone for your hard work. It appears that Tamaki and Haruhi's little spectacle garnered the most attention, especially when Haruhi had to defend herself when she was serving the ladies. Tamaki you need to remember where you are and who is around when you pull a stunt like that."

"Mommy, I was telling our daughter how proud we are of her. She needs all of the encouragement that we can give her since she is a mere commoner and doesn't get all of the chances that we get," Tamaki wailed in defense of his actions.

"You know what…" Haruhi stood up in indignation glaring at Tamaki, hands on hips. She seemed to change her mind and grumbled as she sat down again, "Never mind." She was tired and just ready to go home. Today had been a good day, but it had been long and she was done and ready to go home. Taking deep breath, she glanced up at her boyfriend and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yah," Mori responded and stood up. He went to the back to get his, Haruhi, and Hunny's bags so that they could leave as soon as possible. By the time he returned he noticed that Satoshi and Chika were already gone. Raising an eyebrow in question towards Hunny, his cousin said one word right before she shoved a slice of cake into his mouth, "Home."

As the trio made their way to the car, Haruhi stated, "Well hopefully this is the end to everything and Tamaki will be more careful when he tries to attack me in public.

Hunny started to laugh, "Don't bet on it Haru-Chan."


	27. Graduation Draws Near

**A/N: I think I also agree with Hunny. Tamaki is just the overzealous daddy issue friend that she has to deal with and when he gets going he doesn't think about the consequences. LOL. That is ok; it just provides us with a good laugh. Right? Ok mtnikolle has been keep up with the Flying Tamaki Count (THANK YOU!) and we are up to 17. Something tells me that number will increase as long as he knows Haruhi because let's face it, when Mori and Haruhi have kids... he will get it from them too. LOL. Maybe Hunny's kids also. LOL. Enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 27 – Graduation Draws Near

Hunny's prediction came to pass in glorious accuracy. Tamaki went flying at least every other day, but there were times when he lost himself to the cuteness of his "daughter" and Haruhi would have to throw him more than that. It got to be routine: Tamaki see Haruhi, screams, runs to her, Haruhi throws or trips him before he can grab her, she walks over his lifeless body towards Mori and Hunny or to the kitchen to make tea for club time, and Tamaki runs to his corner. As many times as Haruhi has thrown the Host Club president, everyone thought he would have gotten used to it and stopped pouting when it happened, but alas that did not happen and he kept doing the same thing over and over and over again. After two months nothing had changed.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya walked towards Tamaki and stated, "Do you realize that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? At least that is what Albert Einstein said."

"What does that have to do with me, mommy?" Tamaki squeaked.

"Well daddy… you keep approaching Haruhi the same way and every time you try to rush her, you are tossed aside, quite literally."

"I think our daughter hates me. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai are teaching her horrible things!"

"If I remember correctly, you are one of the ones that decided she needed to learn self-defense. She has done remarkably well, but then again I would expect no less when her teachers are members of the Haninozuka and Morinozuka families."

"B-b-b-but Mommy!"

"No buts Tamaki. She is learning to defend herself as we all suggested she do. You are just upset because you get the brunt of her practice. Now you need to get out of that corner and join us for our meeting. We need to discuss what we are going to do for Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai's graduation. You are the one that decided to close our doors today so that we could meet together, so let's have our meeting; or was closing the doors a mistake and if it was there are repercussions," Kyoya smirked and watched his best friend pale turning ghostly white.

Before his soul could completely leave his body, Tamaki woke up from his comatose state and ran over to the area where the other hosts were gathered. He did not want to even think about Kyoya had up his sleeve if this meeting did not happen. He loved his best friend, but the Shadow King was also one of the scariest men he knew. As soon as he joined the group, he brought the meeting to order declaring in a robust voice, "We are here to discuss the graduation of Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai."

"Is that why you told them not to come?" Haruhi grumbled.

"Well of course. It wouldn't do to talk about what we are going to do for them and have them be part of the discussion. Now would it? It is alright my dear daughter that you do not know proper etiquette, we will overlook your question today," Tamaki said with a flourish.

Scowling, Haruhi fisted her hands and counted to ten before she addressed the blonde, "For your information you did not tell any of us why we are meeting and if it wasn't for the fact that Takashi told me that he and Hunny were told not to come, I wouldn't have known. I did not know that this was a meeting to discuss their graduation or anything of that nature!"

A sharp intake of breath and Tamaki started to turn to ashes, withering away before everyone's very eyes, "She hates me mommy. Our daughter hates me."

"Well while he pulls himself together, let's continue," Kyoya said as he took charge of the meeting. "As for you question Haruhi, yes we wanted to discuss a few different things without the awkwardness of the recipients present. Tamaki thought everything should be a secret and covert, although I am not sure why. Now, what did we want to do for our graduating seniors?" Opening his black book, the Shadow King had his pen poised to jot down notes.

"What if we had a party for them on our last hosting day of the school term?" Kaoru suggested.

"That would work and that way the girls could celebrate with us. Afterward, we could take them to dinner just the club," Hikaru added.

More ideas started to be bantered about and once Tamaki rematerialized, he got in on the action too. The only person who did not seem in the party planning mood was Haruhi. Knowing graduation was coming was one thing, but seeing how fast it was approaching was something else. She wasn't ready for Mori to not be there every day, to not see his face every day. It was true he was going to go to Todai and he would still be in the same city, and he and Hunny would visit the club occasionally, but it wasn't the same thing as knowing he was going to be there all of the time and would rescue her from the more enthusiastic hosts. Dating him, she would still see him, but things would be different now. Graduation was only a little over a month away.

"Earth to Haruhi," Hikaru spoke loudly near her ear.

Rolling his eyes, Kaoru nudged her side and asked, "Hey are you ok?"

Haruhi jumped a little and then looked at the two people she was seated between, "Huh, sorry. I guess I spaced out."

"We can see that. Are you alright?" Kyoya inquired as the glare from the light caught his glasses.

"Yah, sorry everyone. Did you ask me something?" Haruhi blushed embarrassed to be caught not paying attention when the topic of conversation was her boyfriend and his best friend.

"Oh you are just adorable when you blush! Isn't she adorable mommy?" Tamaki gushed and stood up and rushed to her pulling her into his arms.

"Put me down Tamaki-senpai! This is sexual harassment and if you do not release me I will be forced to make you release me," Haruhi announced in her blunt way, but it worked because the next instant she was released and Tamaki was hiding behind Kyoya.

"She is scary when she is like that. Haruhi why do you want to hurt daddy?" Tamaki wailed.

"Can we continue now? I still have to go to the store today," she muttered.

Tamaki perked up, "The store! Can I come too? You know daddy can help you shop!"

"No, Takashi is coming over to have dinner with my father and you cannot come," Haruhi stated bluntly.

Crying now, Tamaki bellowed, "But I want to come!"

"I said no! Now can we get back to this meeting?" Haruhi said forcefully; each word sending an arrow towards Tamaki tormenting him further.

Smirking, Kyoya agreed, "Yes, we can. I have somewhere I need to be tonight as well. Tamaki out of that corner and stop growing mushrooms. Also, please no blood on the carpets. Thank you." Turning back towards Haruhi, he stated, "We were asking if you had any suggestions for Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai."

"Well you know Hunny-senpai, give him a special cake and he will be happy. I like the idea the twins had of celebrating with the ladies during club time and then doing a dinner just us afterward. I think they would be up to that. Are we going to get them a gift or something from the club?" Haruhi responded.

"I know that individually, we each planned to get them something for graduation so we did not see the need to get them a collective present as a club, unless you had something in mind," Kyoya probed.

Furrowing her brow, Haruhi cocked her head to the side and her finger on her chin. After a few moments she declared, "Why don't we get them something small from the group? We could get them something that holds special meaning and remind them of the good times in the host club."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and thought about the idea. It had its good points. "What do you suggest?" He asked.

"Um, well we could give them a picture of the host club in a nice frame or something," Haruhi suggested.

"Haruhi, you are so simple. It takes time for paint to dry and to commission two paintings to be done would take time," Tamaki shook his head in a condescending manner. He truly believed that she just did not know how the world worked and he had to be the one to educate her. If he actually knew anything, he would realize she never meant they needed to commission a work of art.

"I didn't mean that we needed to present them with painting. I am talking about a picture, a snapshot! You take a picture with a camera, you develop the film or order the print, and then you stick it in a frame. No time needed to wait for paint to dry!" Haruhi bellowed. Then under her breath, "And you call me the simple one? Baka!"

The twins heard her mini rant and snickered. They had to agree with her though.

"No painting? Well here at the Ouran Host Club…" Tamaki started to speak rising up to his full height, but the wind was taken out of his sails by Kyoya.

"That is a good idea and Tamaki we don't have money in the budget to commission two portraits. Besides, they would be too big and at least with the picture it is portable. We will do that."

"Kyoya-senpai, if you need a photographer, our mother has one that she likes to use exclusively," Hikaru offered.

Making a notation in his notebook, Kyoya ordered the twins, "Please get me the name and phone number so that I can contact him. We will need to arrange a photo shoot soon."

"GAH! What are you talking about? Are you telling me that in all of this time, we don't have one photo as a group?" Haruhi questioned everyone.

"Well I can show you what I have, but I am not sure that the photos are of good quality," Kyoya stated.

"Why don't we look at them before we bring in a camera crew again?" The female host announced.

Kyoya pushed up his glasses and smirked, "Fine. Meet me here at lunch tomorrow and we will review the photographs that I do have. We can decide at that time."

"Fine," Haruhi accepted the challenge. Under her breath she grumbled, "Damn rich bastards have to go overboard on everything and spend money that doesn't need to be spent."

"Well I do believe that is all. Tamaki was there anything else to discuss?" Kyoya turned the floor back to the King of the Host Club.

"No mommy. I do believe we are done," Tamaki declared.

Snapping his black notebook shut, Kyoya stood up and said, "Excellent then we are done here."

Haruhi immediately stood up and grabbed her bag. As she was making her way to the door, she was stopped by the screech of Tamaki's voice. Sometimes it grated on her nerves like nails to a chalkboard. Turning around slowly, Haruhi glared, "What do you need Tamaki-senpai?"

"EEEP! I just wanted to see if my beautiful daughter wanted a ride home," Tamaki answered tentatively.

"No thank you. I have to go to the store and then I have to get home and cook. I do not need you to cause problems or get in my way," Haruhi replied in her blunt way and once again arrows were shot towards Tamaki. She turned towards the door and made her way out of the school not wanting any further delay from her friends.

"HAHAHA! She got you boss!" Hikaru laughed.

"Yah, I think this time was faster than the last time," Kaoru guffawed.

The twins' smiles all of the sudden turned evil, "Tono keeps trying to get her alone. Looks like a pervert."

"WAH! I am not a pervert you malicious doppelgangers! Mommy, tell them to stop picking on me!" Tamaki cried.

Kyoya sighed, "Will you three stop it. I have some things to start planning and still need to do the club's finances. We lost a day of profits thanks to Tamaki closing the doors before we discussed it."

"EEEP! Sorry mommy!" Tamaki ran to the back room and grabbed his bag. He decided it was probably safer if he left his best friend alone for now. The twins must have had the same idea because when he was saying good bye to Kyoya, they were nowhere to be found.

Haruhi made it to the grocery store and home with plenty of time to spare before she had to get dinner ready. Putting some water on to boil for tea, she grabbed her book bag and moved into the living room to get ready to do homework. Once the tea was ready, she grabbed her first book and started to read, but it wasn't long before she realized she didn't see any of the words on the page, she was too focused on the impending graduation for two of the closest people in her life.

A knock at the door made her jump and she tried to calm her beating heart as she answered the door. "Takashi!" She gasped and looked at the clock. He was early.

Examining his girlfriend, he could see that he had startled her, but he and Hunny had gotten done with their workout and instead of going home only to go out again, he decided to spend some extra time with his favorite girl, "Hi. Mitsukuni and I are finished for the day."

"Oh, sorry. Come in. Do you want some tea?" Haruhi asked as she moved out of the doorway and let him enter the apartment.

"Yah, thank you."

"Sorry, I was studying before you came over and I guess you surprised me," Haruhi laughed at herself.

Mori could tell that something was troubling Haruhi. It was in her voice and the way she laughed. He wasn't sure what it was, but something was bothering her and he wondered if he would be able to get it out of her, "What's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing's wrong," Haruhi replied not quite looking at him as she handed him his tea.

"Haruhi, did something happen in Host Club today?"

"No, they wanted to meet to talk about your graduation."

Lifting an eyebrow, Mori sent her a silent inquiry.

"Nothing, they just wanted ideas on how to celebrate. You will just have to wait and see what they do. Just be surprised and happy. Ok?"

"Ok. So what is wrong with you?"

Haruhi bit her lip and sat down in the living room again. If she told him would he think that she doubted him? Would he think that she was clingy? Those were the things racing through her mind. She looked up when she felt a thumb pulling her lip out of her teeth and saw Mori sitting next to her. She knew she needed to tell him, she could see the worry plastered on his face, "Sorry. I guess I got to thinking about graduation and how everything was going to change."

Nodding, Mori said, "You mean I will be at university and you will still be at Ouran?"

"Yah," Haruhi softly replied.

It was so quiet that most people might not have heard her, but Mori did. Picking her up and placing her on his lap, he pulled her close and tried to ease her troubled thoughts, "My school will change, but that is the only thing that will. You will still have your lessons and we will see each other outside of that like we always do. The only difference now is that we won't see each other for those two hours during club time, but even that is not forever since Mitsukuni and I will visit."

"I know all of that, but I like you being there every day and being my rescuer. I like seeing your face and knowing that I can turn my head and you will be there. I know it is selfish because I will still see you outside of school, but it will be different. And then I think about how different university will be and the new people you will meet there, then I wonder if there isn't…" she was stopped by Mori's fingers pinching her lips together to get her to shut up.

"There is only you for me. In all my time at Ouran, you were the only girl that ever caught my eye and held my interest. I love you and only you. So if you are worried about other girls, you have nothing to worry about. I told you what I want already."

Smiling, Haruhi realized that she felt better just from his reassurances. It would still be hard and a little sad not to see him during club time, but he was right, they would still be able to see each other a lot; and like him, she knew what she wanted in her future… him. Leaning up to kiss him, she whispered, "Thank you Takashi."

"You're welcome."

Haruhi glanced at the clock and realized it was time to start on her dinner preparations, "Did you want to help me with dinner or did you want to sit in here?"

"I will help you. Do you feel better now?"

"Yah, I do," Haruhi declared as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She did feel better and she would not let the graduation that was floating closer and closer to bother her. She still had him and he was going to be around for a long time to come.


	28. Idiots Abound

**A/N: In my head I have started to do the MFTC for the future and I started imagining their kids throwing him around like it was nothing and one of those giant counters standing off to the side counting each time he tries to channel our winged friends. LOL. As the count hits 1000 and then 1,000,000, confetti explodes everywhere and there are streamers and fireworks, and a band is playing (gotta be big, it is the Host Club). Ok, now that I have had my laughs and shared my personal inner mind theatre, enjoy the new chapter!**

Chapter 28 – Idiots Abound

Haruhi could not fathom the inner workings of the minds of her friends at time. It just didn't make sense. For example, when she met with Kyoya in order to view the pictures, there were several that were in her mind really good and she was sure Mori and Hunny would love them. Kyoya would point out each and every thing wrong with the picture. She argued that since they were taken at a specific point and therefore a memory, it would mean more. However in the end, the only reason she got her way is because she convinced the Shadow King that by using one of those less than perfect pictures, they would save time and money and would not give away the surprise. He accepted her logic and the fact that they would not need to spend additional club funds; and in the end, picked out two pictures from Kyoya's vast collection. It boggled her mind the way they thought about things sometimes.

There was now a little under two weeks until graduation and everyone seemed to be getting excited about the host club party which would take place two days prior to graduation during the last hosting session of the year. All of their customers would be there to bid adieu to the two graduating seniors, and then the club would take them out for a private dinner where their Host Club gifts would be presented to them. Nobody was ready for Hunny or Mori to leave, but as with all students, their time at Ouran was drawing to a close.

"Hey, Haruhi-senpai," Satoshi said softly as he approached the young girl sitting under one of the trees in the grove on Ouran grounds. He was not expecting to see her there or without his brother, but when he came upon her, he told his friends that he would see them later and walked towards Haruhi instead of continuing on with everyone else.

Looking up when she heard her name called, she spotted the youngest Morinozuka and returned his smile, "Hi Satoshi. What are you doing here?"

"Some of my friends decided we wanted to go for a small walk today. What about you?"

"Classes after lunch were cancelled today for some reason or another so, I decided to get some fresh air and came out here when lunch started."

"Where's Taka?"

"The kendo team had a practice meet at another school today so he won't be back until later, and since I am not on the kendo team, I had to stay behind."

Satoshi could see something flash briefly in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what it was. Could it have been sadness or uncertainty? "What's wrong?" He asked in response to what he witnessed.

Unable to look her friend in the eye any longer, she stated, "Nothing really."

"Haruhi, you can't fool me. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way: tell me or I get Taka."

Laughing, Haruhi felt her mood lighten at his threat, "Ok, fine I will tell you, but you cannot laugh or tell anyone."

Marking a cross over his chest as he sat down next to her, he gave his solemn word, "I promise not to tell anyone or to laugh." He knew it was something serious if she was asking him not to talk. She normally didn't care unless it was a surprise for his brother.

Haruhi pulled her knees up to her and hugged them from where they were lying straight in front of her, and then leaned her head back against the tree looking up at its branches, "Ok, so I overheard some of the girls talking. I think all but two of them are customers of the host club, and the ones that were present that are customers have selected your brother or cousin as their designated host."

"Ok, but you have dealt with their customers before. Wasn't there that girl that confessed her love and then thought he was all about Mitsukuni?"

"Yah, but that was different. This time they were talking about the fact that two of the girls' families will be meeting with the heads of the Morinozuka and Haninozuka households to talk marriage contracts. They were really excited and said that by graduation they will be engaged to Hunny and Takashi."

"But that isn't true! You know that right?"

Sighing, Haruhi looked at him in the eye, "I know that I love your brother and that he loves me. I know that you father has said that he cannot get engaged until after he passes his survival test, but I have been around the upper echelon enough to know that when a match is advantageous for both families, they typically jump at the chance. I am no one of significance. I don't come from a rich powerful family. I am just a commoner."

Satoshi was mad that she would look at herself that way. Did she not realize that she was so much more than what she thought? "You're an idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"You're an idiot! Do you really think that my family cares about all of that? I thought you understood where we came from. We were servants and companions to the Haninozuka long before we had money or prestige. We don't forget our roots. Our parents love you and have no qualms about letting you into the family. Hell, you already are a part of this family! We have had arranged marriages in the past, but not everyone has to have one. Takashi doesn't want one and knows what he wants; and my father is not going to force him into anything he doesn't want. Did you know that my parent's marriage was arranged, but it was because my father told his parents to arrange a marriage for him?"

"I knew it was arranged, but I thought it was because of the usual reasons."

Satoshi laughed, "Well, when you are doing an arranged marriage, and I know this will sound crass, but you get the best possible deal you can."

Joining in his laughter, Haruhi agreed, "True."

"So my parents' marriage was arranged, but it was love at first sight and they have been inseparable since. My father wanted an arranged marriage because he didn't know many girls that he actually enjoyed being around that weren't family. So after his test of manhood, he asked my grandfather to arrange it and he did. In the Morinozuka family, at least in my immediate family, we are given the choice. Takashi is a lot like my father, but he has already found someone, so any offers of marriage will be declined. Now the Haninozuka are a bit different. They do believe in arranged marriages, but they will ask Mitsukuni if that is something he wants and will allow him to meet with the woman first to see if they will get along; if they do not, the marriage contract will not happen. If he finds someone he loves, he will probably be able to marry her. Our families are not as stringent about using children to make business deals as some are, like the Ootori and the Suoh. So just because you overheard what you did, don't believe it. The only person that Takashi will be marrying is you."

Grinning at the young man seated beside her, she spoke softly, "Thank you. I know that I am letting these things get to me, but being immersed in all of this for the better part of a year, I guess I freaked out a bit knowing that arranged marriages are so common place in your society, and that a lot of my friends will have one."

"I can understand that, but you need to stop. You have Takashi wrapped around your little finger," Satoshi teased.

Haruhi laughed again, "I think you might be right."

Rolling his eyes, he smirked, "I know I am right. Was there anything else wrong?"

"Don't laugh."

"I already said I wouldn't."

"I'm frustrated because…" Haruhi mumbled and blushed.

Satoshi could see the girl in front of him turning a bright shade of red, but he couldn't understand what she had said, "What?"

Huffing, Haruhi knew that Satoshi was not going to let it go now that she started, "I am frustrated because I have to go to Takashi's graduation party as a boy." She glanced at him through her bangs to see what kind of response he had to her statement. Blank, his face was blank and his eyes were wide and he blinked and then blinked again. "I know that the host club party I have to go as a host, but I was thinking about it all and the party that the Haninozuka and Morinozuka families are giving for Hunny and Takashi, I have to go as a boy."

"WHAT?"

"Think about it. Ouran students will be attending the party, right?"

"Right."

"No one at Ouran outside of the Host Club and their families knows I am really a girl. So that means…" She was really trying to spell it out for him and hoped that he caught on this time. He did.

A rumbled of laughter started low in his gut and then it spilled out and grew. Before long, Satoshi was rolling around on the ground and clutching his side.

"I didn't think it was that funny," Haruhi mumbled under her breath shooting daggers at her friend.

Sitting up, Satoshi tried to calm himself down, "Sorry, sorry. So because no one knows that you are a girl, you have to come to the party as a guy and basically watch girls throw themselves at your boyfriend."

"I am used to the throwing."

"I have seen you don a wig and a dress before for things in order to fool everyone. Why don't you just do that?"

"I guess I could."

"We will just introduce you as someone else."

"I guess."

"Has your debt been paid off yet?"

"Not yet, but I am close."

"Then when your debt is paid off, we can announce that you are really a girl."

"That is the plan since when we do get engaged, Takashi can't exactly get married to a boy."

"Well there you go. Ok, so at the party, you will wear a wig and a dress, oh and do your make-up. Then you will be able to be at Taka's side all night," Satoshi declared beaming.

"That might work."

"It will because I am a genius."

"You are something, but I am not sure what that is."

"Ouch! You really know how to wound a man's pride."

"If you see a man in this grove, please point him out."

"Hey now! Here I was giving up my lunch hour to help you and talk to you, but you wound me, you really do," he joked as he wiped a fake tear away from his eyes.

Leaning over and giving the younger teen a kiss on the cheek, Haruhi chuckled, "I do thank you for your help. I feel better now." Chimes sounded off in the distance and she glanced at her watch, "Hey are you going to be late for class?"

"Actually, I think I skipped," Satoshi laughed. When he saw her glared, he backtracked, "I will just get everything from Yasuchika. I am sure he was there."

"By the way, where was he at lunch?"

"Karate club. He had to meet with the sensei."

"Ah. Well, you go to class and I am going to go back and study a little before my next class. Thank you again," she stated as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"No problem! Just remember, you are family and the day Taka enters into an arranged marriage that isn't with you is the day hell has frozen over," he laughed and then started to jog towards the middle school.

Shaking her head and laughing as well, Haruhi whispered, "He is so weird, but a good kid." She made her way to the high school and froze as she was walking past he fountain where Tamaki helped her find her wallet all those many months ago. It wasn't the memories that made her freeze; it was a faint cry that she heard in the distance. Turning her head left and then right, she spotted it, or who was calling out to her, Tamaki. Bracing herself as he sped his way towards her, she knew she could have run, but when it came to Tamaki that was not always an option. First there was a good possibility that he would have started running up and down the halls yelling for his daughter. Second, it would have made her entrance into music room three that much more dangerous. No, it was better to deal with him now.

Tamaki had been looking for Haruhi since he was excused for lunch. He knew that she loved Mori, but that didn't stop him from seeking her out and wanting to spend time with her; he was still a father figure in her life after all. Spotting her walking by the fountain in the distance, he started running and calling out to her. He saw her stop and then look around for him, and that excited him more. His daughter was actually seeking him out, "Haruhi!" As he got closer, he could see the scowl on her face and briefly wondered why she would be upset, _"Mori-senpai must have done something to her. Don't worry daughter, I will help you through this trial in your life."_ (Ok so he is a bit delusional and I am sure you can see where this is going… Tamaki running, Haruhi bracing herself in front of a fountain). Tamaki was now close enough to her when Kyoya's words popped into his head, _"Do you realize that the definition of insanity…"_ Everything happened in slow motion. He was unable to stop and then he saw the ground below him before there was a large splash.

As soon as the splash happened, Haruhi realized her mistake and face palmed. Tamaki was soaked and swimming with the fish (literally since there was koi in that particular fountain). Groaning, she peeked at her senpai through the slits in her fingers, "Sorry Tamaki-senpai, it was a knee jerk reaction."

Laughter coming from behind her told Haruhi that there were witnesses to her faux pas. Spinning around, she saw Hunny, Kyoya, Hikaru, and Kaoru; three out of four were laughing hysterically, while one was pushing up his glasses and smirking. Great now she had to answer to the Shadow King. Plastering on her host smile, she approached her four friends, "I can explain."

"No need to Haruhi, we saw the whole thing," Kyoya stated. Looking past her towards his best friend that was sitting stunned in the fountain, he ordered, "You need to get out of there and up to the club room to change. I hope you have learned your lesson now."

Scrambling out of the water, Tamaki squeaked, "Yes mommy!"

"Now I suggest that we take this upstairs. You are both lucky that there were only a few people to witness this latest spectacle," Kyoya glared at his best friend.

"I'm sorry Kyoya-senpai, but I forgot I was standing by the fountain," grumbled Haruhi.

"I am well aware of what happened. Now, let's move upstairs so that Tamaki can change before he catches a cold," Kyoya responded. He had actually found the whole thing to be quite amusing.

All of the hosts trudged upstairs and Haruhi wondered if anything would be added to her debt due to this latest flying act. Her thoughts were broken when she felt someone grab her hand. Looking down, she noticed that it was Hunny and he was giving her a reassuring smile as he held Usa-Chan close. Grinning back, she felt better and decided that if anything was added, it was worth it.

"Don't worry Haru-Chan, this was Tama-Chan's fault and your debt will not increase. Kyo-Chan won't say it, but he thought it was hilarious also," Hunny giggled quietly.

When they made it to music room 3, Tamaki took off towards the changing room in order to change into a dry uniform while Haruhi went to the kitchen to make some tea for everyone and grab a slice of cake for Hunny. As she approached the largest sitting area where the others had camped out, Haruhi received a bit of a shock from Kyoya when he gave her a genuine smile and said, "Well done Haruhi. I can tell that your training is improving dramatically. I have no doubt that if something like the beach incident occurred again, you would be able to handle yourself quite well."

There was no leer, no sneer, no smirk, it was a genuine smile and she was floored, "Thank you Kyoya-senpai."

"OH MY GOD THAT WAS AMAZING!" Hikaru barked as he started to laugh again.

Kaoru also had to give his props to the girl, "You got him good Haruhi!" His laughter growing the more he thought about what happened.

Tamaki came out at that time and walked over to the group, "I must say that you are advancing extremely well and daddy is so proud of you. My baby is growing up and learning new things, but don't go trying to pick a fight because daddy doesn't want you to fight. Remember this is to defend yourself if you get in a situation. If you are in a tight spot, you still need to call daddy to help you!" He tried to rush to her side, but Hunny stood in his way.

Everyone had thought when he started his speech that he had learned his lesson, but as more and more words spouted from his mouth, he knew that was not the case. As soon as he saw Tamaki moving toward Haruhi, Hunny stepped in front of the female host to block the king from getting to her, "Sorry Tama-Chan, but I think you have done enough today."

Haruhi couldn't agree more with the small senior. Pouring and passing out the tea, she sat down next to Hunny as Tamaki tried to coax her over to where he was seated, "No thank you senpai. I am perfectly fine where I am."

"But Haruhi, daddy just wants to make sure you are alright after you had to exert yourself," Tamaki whined.

"I wouldn't have had to exert myself if you hadn't tried to glomp me like usual," Haruhi stated blunt as ever.

A sharp intake of are and Tamaki cried out before finding his special corner to wallow in his misery, "Daughter is so mean to daddy."

"Well, while we have everyone here, I wanted to say that everything is arranged for our last few hosting sessions for the Host Club. We also have the graduation party that Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai's families are throwing for them. We will all be in attendance as will several other students from Ouran," Kyoya spoke in a very business-like manner.

Clearing her throat, Haruhi decided to tell them what she and Satoshi came up with, "I will be attending as a girl."

Hikaru and Kaoru brushed off what she was saying as a joke, "Yah, ok. You can't because nobody knows your secret."

"Actually, I can. I will wear my wig and get dolled up and be able to attend without anyone knowing who I am. I will be attending as a girl and not as a boy!" Haruhi declared.

"I think it is a good idea!" Hunny sided with Haruhi.

Everyone looked at Kyoya for his guidance. Adjusting his glasses, he stared back at them, "What? If she wants to go as a girl, she can. As she explained, she will be disguise and no one will be able to recognize her." He really didn't see a problem with it since she was almost done paying off her debt and he doubted anyone would be able to recognize her.

"BUT MOMMY! What if her secret is discovered?" Tamaki wailed as he ran back over to the group.

"Then her secret is discovered. She is almost done paying off her debt and she can do what she wants to at that time," Kyoya replied.

Glaring at her friends, she took charge, "Look, I want to go to my boyfriend's graduation party as a girl. I don't want to go as a guy, and I will do what I want!"

"Well there you have it," Kyoya smirked. Since she had started training and dating Mori, Haruhi had started to come into her own, she was always independent, but she had started to stand up for herself more and didn't always allow the others to railroad her. It was a new and fascinating side of her. Although she was with Mori and he would never do anything to jeopardize that relationship, Kyoya found himself thinking about this new Haruhi and he admitted to himself that he liked it.

"Kyoya-senpai, can you tell me how much I have left on my debt?" Haruhi asked.

He nodded and said, "I will give you the figure when we convene for club time."

Smiling, Haruhi responded, "Thank you."

Crawling on his knees over to her, Tamaki cried, "Do you want to leave us? Do you want to leave daddy?"

"You are not my father and I am not leaving. I will admit that you get on my nerves, but I generally like the Host Club; however, I am not going to stay hiding my gender throughout high school," Haruhi grumbled sipping her tea.

"If you want to stay in the club after you come out as a girl, I am sure that we can find something for you to do. If there are enough customers that still request your presence, you can host, but if not, there are finances to do and other things that need to happen in order for the club to continue running smoothly," Kyoya offered.

"Thank you senpai," Haruhi beamed a genuine smile.

There were a couple of more outcries from Tamaki, but he was pretty much ignored for the rest of their time in the club room. Changes were about to happen, but no one could stop them.


	29. Permission to Be a Girl

**A/N: Positive reviews on my inner mind theatre… I got a kick out of telling you about it and am happy you got a good laugh too. Mtnkolle… I think if anyone could create something and get it attached, it would be Kyoya. In fact I can see Tamaki hitting one million and the Shadow King himself keeping track of it all. LOL. I am glad that everyone liked the Satoshi/Haruhi scene. It made sense to me that families would be trying to arrange marriages with Hunny and Mori, and that might make Haruhi question if the parents would not try to make a better deal. I felt like if anyone could reason with her, it would be Satoshi because he is close enough to it all and yet removed enough that he could be the voice of reason, without the shinai. LOL. Here is the new chapter, happy reading and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 29 – Permission to Be a Girl

That same day during club time, Tamaki kept shooting glances at Haruhi and unnerving her. When she had a small break from her customers, she got up and walked over to his section, "Excuse me ladies, but I need to speak with Tamaki for a second."

Gushes and sighs were heard throughout the crowd as Tamaki stood up and went with Haruhi a few feet away, "What do you need? You know daddy will do anything for his little girl!"

"Stop looking at me like I killed your best friend. You are going to make our patrons wonder if you are even paying attention to them," Haruhi glared at him before attempting to walk away.

"What do you mean?" Tamaki asked as clueless as ever.

Face palming, Haruhi whispered harshly, "You keep staring at me like I wronged you in some way. My customers keep noticing and I am sure yours have too! You need to stop now!" After she said what she felt needed to be said, she stomped off towards the kitchen to get some more tea for her next set of guests.

Tamaki walked dejectedly back to his designates and proceeded to entertain them to the best of his ability forcing himself to not look in the general direction of the only female host in the club. He had not been completely aware that he had been starting to stare at her until she said something and found that his eyes wanted to keep wandering over to that part of the room.

Mori, ever the observer, watched as Haruhi pulled Tamaki to the side and exchanged some heated words with him. He wasn't completely sure what was said or why, but he was sure he would find out about it later. Arriving late to Host Club today did not allow him time to talk to her prior to the doors opening, and he could tell that something had already irritated her; he could only guess that it had something to do with the self-proclaimed Host Club King.

When the girls were finally escorted out of the music room, Mori made his way over to Haruhi, "Are you alright?"

Looking up, Haruhi was in her own little world and did not realize that someone, let alone her boyfriend, had walked up to her. "Yah, Tamaki just irritated me today more than usual," she grumbled.

"What happened while I was gone?" Mori inquired.

Haruhi was about to answer and tell him about what happened earlier in the day, but Kyoya interrupted and called everyone into a meeting, "I will tell you on the way home."

Nodding, Mori linked his hands with her and walked over to the others; however upon arriving, they found that there was no place to sit together. The twins took up one of the couches, Hunny and Kyoya were sitting in two of the chairs, and Tamaki had taken up a large residence on the other couch. This did not faze them though as Mori sat down next to Tamaki forcing the younger man to sit up and move over so that Haruhi could sit on Mori's other side.

"Haruhi, don't you want to sit next to daddy?" Tamaki asked sullenly. He had purposely tried to force Mori's hand and make him sit next to Kyoya or Hunny, but it didn't work.

"No," Haruhi replied blandly.

"Haruhi, you are supposed to sit next to daddy and spend some time with him!" Tamaki demanded.

"I don't know what you are talking about senpai, but that isn't going to happen. I am sitting next to Takashi. Now, can we get on with this meeting?" Haruhi bluntly stated.

"But, daughter…" Tamaki started to wail, but was cut off by Kyoya.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya had called this meeting to discuss what happened earlier since it was more than apparent Tamaki still had a problem with everything, "That is enough Tamaki and if you run to your corner, you will regret it."

"MOMMY!" The blonde cried out.

"No, daddy. That is enough. Now the reason I have called this meeting is for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted everyone to know that you will be dismissed from your classes early the day of our last hosting event. Your instructors are already aware and you will be allowed to leave 30 minutes early from classes; and no Haruhi, you don't have a choice in the matter."

"I wasn't going to protest," Haruhi stated.

"That is good. Now secondly, based on the discussion earlier today, some of you have an issue with Haruhi attending the graduation party as a girl. I will remind you that this is her decision. In fact, after tomorrow she will have completely paid off her debt. It is her decision if she chooses to stay in the host club or leave it. As previously discussed though, she would like to stay in the Host Club and there are several ways for her to accomplish this. If she wants to attend the graduation party as a girl, no one here should shave a problem with it. Just like it is her decision on when she would like to reveal herself as a girl. As her friends, I would think that you would want to support her and her decisions," Kyoya smirked and pushed up his glasses causing an ominous glare, "Or do you want her to keep her secret for the rest of her life and prevent her from moving forward with her relationship and her career. I guarantee you that she will not be able to play the role of a man when she is a lawyer."

The twins and Tamaki shrank away from Kyoya as they looked abashed. Tamaki may have been more flagrant about his stance on the matter, but the twins were not far behind him.

Mori raised his eyebrow and gazed down at Haruhi sitting next to him, "What happened?"

"I just told everyone earlier today that I was going to go to the party as a girl and they didn't like it even though I said I would wear my wig and everything. Well, Kyoya-senpai was ok with it as was Hunny-senpai, but the other three didn't seem to think it was a good idea," Haruhi explained quickly.

Releasing the hand he was holding, Mori wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close before he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "I think it is a good idea. Is that why you pulled Tamaki to the side earlier?"

"Yes, he kept giving this look like I kicked a puppy," Haruhi mumbled sinking into his side.

"I noticed that and it was one of the reasons I asked everyone to gather," Kyoya said.

"We just think that it will be too easy for her to be recognized," Hikaru and Kaoru announced.

Tamaki latched onto their comment, "Exactly! Haruhi you are supposed to be our secret princess!"

"No offense senpai, but Kyoya-senpai is right. I can't pretend to be a boy forever and it is my secret to tell. I wasn't going to reveal it at the party. I am going to be in disguise, but excuse me if I want to be with my boyfriend on his arm instead of watching from the back of the crowd. I would also rather not be witness to all of the girls throwing themselves at him all day and unable to say or do anything," Haruhi shot back.

Kyoya knew that with the closure of Haruhi's debt, she could leave if she wanted to. She was not longer held captive by a large sum of money and it would now be her friendship that would keep her here or force her to leave. Preferring her to stay, Kyoya was doing what he could to help the situation, but Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru were proving to be difficult and would rather that she not reveal anything to anyone. They had to learn that this was either they support her or they lose her, just like when it was revealed that she and Mori were dating. He knew that the relationship was leading to a marriage proposal, how was she supposed to stay "male" if she was engaged to Takashi Morinozuka? "We can tackle the reveal at a later time if you would like to Haruhi. Maybe before the start of the new school year would be an ideal time to tell the world that you are a girl, but we have time for that later."

"MOMMY! HOW CAN YOU ENCOURAGE THIS RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR FROM OUR DAUGHTER?" Tamaki shouted.

"Excuse me, but I do believe that is her decision to make," Kyoya leered.

"NO IT ISN'T! I FORBID HER FROM GOING TO THE PARTY AS A GIRL! In fact, she is not allowed to go to the party at all!" Tamaki ordered standing up and stomping his foot for good measure.

A dark aura was starting to surround the small group. Haruhi was pissed, "You cannot forbid me from doing anything. You are not my father and have no say in my life what so ever!" Standing up, she looked at Mori and said, "I am leaving now." Without waiting to see if he would follow, Haruhi grabbed her bag and walked out of the door.

Mori got up to follow her, but before he walked out of the room with his cousin right behind him, he spoke up, "She is not a bird to be kept in a golden cage. You need to listen to her and accept her decisions are hers to make. Right now she can either stay in the club because she wants to be with her friends, or she can choose to leave because her friends don't care enough about her and what she wants. Is it so wrong that she wants to go to the party dressed as a girl? She will be in disguise." Opening the door, he walked out of the room and the door closed with a soft click behind Hunny and him.

"All of you should listen to Mori-senpai. He is correct. You can either support her, or risk the chance she will leave the club behind. I personally do not blame her because if it was me, I would want the person I loved right beside me all night. She cannot do that as a boy. Furthermore, if you have not figured it out, she and Mori will probably get engaged sometime after he graduates. Thus the need to reveal her secret at some point in time," Kyoya enlightened the three still sitting there staring at the closed doors. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to get home for a meeting with my father," he said as he stood up and grabbed his things to leave. He really hoped they made the right decision.

Once Kyoya was gone, the three remaining hosts turned and looked accusingly at each other. Tamaki opened his mouth to attack the twins, but Hikaru beat him to the punch, "You know she wouldn't have left like that if it hadn't been for you, boss. You were once again over the top!"

"ME? You were the same way! You didn't support her!" Tamaki screeched.

"You didn't either! You were the one that tried to forbid her from even going to the party!" Hikaru stood up with fists at his side.

Kaoru knew he had to be the grown up in the room, which was laughable since the two others in the room were actually older than him, "Both of you need to stop it." He grabbed Hikaru and pulled him back down to the couch, "Now, all three of us were wrong, and none of us supported her or her wants and needs. Kyoya-senpai and Mori-senpai were right. This is about Haruhi and not about us. We have no say in the matter. The only say we have is if we support her or we don't support her. If we don't, then she may want to leave us behind. Tono, you shouldn't have tried to tell her she couldn't do something. Both of you need to take your feelings out of the equation and let her be happy."

In the car on the way home, Haruhi was fuming and the two other occupants in the car were hearing all about it, "I can't believe that they tried to tell me I can't go to the party as a girl. I AM A GIRL!"

"Don't worry Haru-Chan, I'm sure Kyo-Chan will talk some sense into them," Hunny smiled a little tensely at the girl really praying that he was right.

Taking in a deep breath, she murmured, "You are probably right. If anyone can reach them, he probably can through threats of unspeakable torture." A sudden malicious grin appeared on her face sending shivers racing up Hunny's spine.

"I have a feeling it will be fine and they won't say anything else about you going to the party as a girl. I would rather have you there on my arm than not by my side, but I would have been happy knowing you were there," Mori spoke up.

Haruhi smiled, "I would rather be on your arm too, and that is where I will be with or without their ok. It isn't like I am five and need their permission to go over to a friend's house or to cross the street."

Giving her a small smile, Mori was laughing on the inside. Haruhi at that moment looked like a force to be reckoned with and was a bit scarier than Renge when she went into Medusa mode. He would never say that to his girlfriend's face though. That would just be stupid.

"So it is settled. I will be going to the party as a girl in disguise, and we are not listening to those bakas," Haruhi declared hitting a fist in the open palm of her other hand.

Giggling at the tenacious expression on her face, Hunny agreed, "Right Haru-Chan!"

Groaning, Haruhi plopped against the back of the seat behind her, "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Mori asked suddenly worried.

Burying her face in her hands, she grumbled, "If the twins don't get on board and help me out, my dad is going to have to help me do my make-up!"

A small snicker could be heard and it grew. Haruhi peaked through the spaces between her fingers to see both Mori and Hunny trying to hold in their laughter, but they were unable to suppress it for long. Soon she joined them knowing that what she said was not exactly the end of the world, and she had to admit it was funny.


	30. Peace Offering

**A/N: Inner mind theatre of… ME! I keep looking at the giant counter that is supposed to be continuously running since Tamaki still hasn't learned not to glomp Haruhi or the children, but for some reason it has stopped and isn't going any more. It was stuck right before it flipped to 100,000. I slap it and kick it, but nothing happens. Then I realize that Tamaki unplugged it because he doesn't want to see how many times he went flying. LOL. Sorry, had that dream last night. Hope you like the new chapter!**

Chapter 30 – Peace Offering

"Umm Haru-Chan, I hate to ask this, but now that you have decided to be a girl for the party, do you have something to wear? You mentioned the make-up, but what about the dress?" Hunny asked his kohai when the laughter finally died down.

Haruhi blinked a few times and frowned, "I hadn't thought about it, but I am sure I can just recycle something that the twins have made for me in the past. If not, then I am sure I have something in my closet that my dad bought at some point in time hoping I would suddenly become girlie."

Mori nodded in agreement. A dress wasn't that important because he didn't care what she wore as long as she was at the party with him. Plus there was the little benefit that he believed anything she wore would look good on her.

Grinning, Hunny gave her a thumb's up, "That sounds like a plan. You may have to deal with your dad for the make-up, but at least you are set for a dress."

"I guess so," Haruhi giggled a little before she noticed they were about to pull up to her apartment complex, "Did you two want to come in?"

"I can't Haru-Chan because I am supposed to meet with Chika to practice," Hunny answered.

"I can," Mori responded. He wanted to talk to her about a couple of things and needed to make sure she was actually alright. He knew how much Tamaki and the twins had hurt her today, and if he could have, he would have knocked their heads together.

Haruhi grinned, "Sounds good. I will see you tomorrow Hunny-senpai." Within minutes, she was closing the front door of her apartment and shutting out the rest of the world, "I'll be right back Takashi. I just want to change clothes and then I will be out." She set the water to boil for tea and quickly donned a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Feeling much more comfortable and relaxed than she had in her uniform, she made her way out into the kitchen to check on the water and found her boyfriend leaning against one of the counters wearing a concerned look on his face. He had discarded his blazer and his tie.

"Are you ok?" Mori asked as he studied her face looking for any cracks in her mask.

Sighing, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist burying her face in his chest, "I will be. I am just tired of them trying to tell me what I can and cannot do. Then to forbid me from going to the party at all was the icing on the cake. It seems like it is fine to dress me up in girls' clothes when they deem it is ok, but for me to want to do it myself is a huge no-no and I don't understand why."

"Jealousy," Mori said plainly as he pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Jealousy? Why would they be jealous?"

"Because you are not only theirs any longer, and if you show up to the party as a girl, other men will fawn all over you."

"But I will be on your arm the whole time. Other guys won't get a chance to get near me."

"They probably also think that if you were dressed as a guy, you wouldn't be around me the whole time and you would hang out with them. Dressed as a girl, you will be on my arm the whole night and they will probably not spend a lot of time with you."

Haruhi's temper was turning red hot as she listened to Mori's explanation, "You know... I wouldn't put it past them to be that selfish!" Pausing to sigh, Haruhi whispered, "Why can't they just be happy for me?"

Mori was at a loss and unsure how to help his girlfriend to feel better, "I don't know Haruhi. I think they want to be happy for you, but it is hard for them because they have feelings for you. You just have to remember how they are and that they are used to getting their way. It is a learning curve with them, but they will eventually get it."

Nodding her head, she murmured, "You're right."

The couple was interrupted by any further discussion by two things. The first one was a whistling teapot, and the second one was a knock at the door. Looking at each other, Mori suggested that she make the tea while he answered the door. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had a strong feeling he knew who was attempting to beat down her door at the moment. Opening the door, he saw the three faces he anticipated seeing on the other side, "What do you want? I think you have caused her enough stress for today." Mori stood in the door way blocking the entrance into the small abode.

"Mori-senpai, what are you doing here?" Tamaki inquired nervously.

Crossing his arms and standing to his full height, Mori cut a very intimidating figure when he wanted to, and right now he wanted to do more than intimidate the trespassers, "I am here making sure my girlfriend is alright after what you three did to her today. I have every right to be here, you on the other hand probably need to leave if you are here to give her more grief. I won't have you say anything else hurtful or hateful to her."

Each accusation was a knife to the heart of Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru. They knew what they had done was selfish and wrong. Friendship was supposed to be about selflessness, not selfishness. They wanted to apologize, but if the giant in front of them would not move, they didn't know how to deliver the message.

"Who is it Takashi?" Haruhi asked walking up behind her boyfriend. She hadn't been paying attention to the voices since she had been lost to her own thoughts, but when she approached and caught a small glimpse of blonde hair and auburn hair, she knew she was in trouble. Grabbing Mori's arm, she glared, "What the hell do you three want? I think you have said enough to last me for a while!" She turned on her heel and walked away from the door leaving Mori to deal with the riff raff.

Tamaki was desperate for Haruhi to hear him and called out to her in a loud obnoxious voice, "Haruhi we are here to apologize!"

Pausing, Haruhi did not turn around or say anything. She would listen to what Tamaki had to say, but she wasn't sure she could actually believe him.

"What we did was wrong and it is your decision how you go to the party!" The Host Club King yelled hoping his words were reaching her. He elbowed the twin next to him so that he wasn't the only one doing the talking.

Hikaru glared at Tamaki, but did speak up for their cause, "Look Haruhi, the boss is right. We were wrong, and we have no right to forbid you from doing anything you want in your life or relationship."

Kaoru picked up where his brother left off, "If you want to go to the party as a girl, then we will do your dress and give you a head to toe make over."

"We're sorry," the twins spoke in unison.

Wondering if she could trust them or not, she wasn't really certain they were being sincere. They sounded like they were, but she also knew they were good at playing the angles and getting girls to believe anything they wanted them to. Were they playing her?

"My dear, wonderful, lovely, beautiful daughter, daddy didn't mean those awful things he said," Tamaki wailed as tears started flowing down his face like twin rivers. He knew how to get the dramatic effect he craved.

"Why should I believe you?" Haruhi sneered whipping around and stalking back to the door. She was able to maneuver around Mori and leered at the unwanted guests.

"Look Haruhi, we have no say in your life or your decisions. Some of us may want to hold onto you like you are ours and ours alone, but we know that isn't the case. This is your choice to make and we will support it whether we like the idea or not," Kaoru explained.

Observing the three men in front of her, she finally shook her head knowing that they were her friends and she couldn't really stay too mad at them now that they appeared to give a sincere apology. "Fine. Do you three want some tea?" Haruhi grumbled and walked back into the kitchen.

Mori moved out of the doorway to allow the other three to gain access to the home, but made sure he kept a buffer between Tamaki and Haruhi. The last thing he wanted to see is Tamaki trying to embrace Haruhi while she was handling hot tea. That could, and probably would, end badly.

"Excuse me Mori-senpai, but I am trying to get to my little girl's side," Tamaki said tapping Mori on the shoulder.

"No," Mori stated.

"No? Why can't I see my daughter?" Tamaki cried.

Sighing, Mori ran cracked his neck, "Go sit down in the living room Tamaki. She is handling hot tea and doesn't need your interference causing her to get burned or something." He watched as the young man trudged sullenly into the living room and sat down at the table with the twins following suit. Shaking his head, he walked up to Haruhi and took the tray from her and together they walked into the living room.

Tamaki tried to stand up when he saw that Haruhi was walking into the living room empty handed, but one frown from Mori and he knew he needed to stay put. Taking the offered cup, Tamaki gushed, "Thank you Haruhi. My daughter is so skilled and makes such a lovely cup of tea."

"Umm yah, whatever," Haruhi muttered rolling her eyes.

"So Haruhi, is your mind really set to go to the graduation party as a girl," Hikaru probed. He was trying not to sound snide, but based on the scowl he was receiving, he knew he had failed.

Rushing to rectify the situation once again, Kaoru explained, "What he means is, are you sure this is what you want because if it is, we want to help."

The frown lessened minutely as she declared, "I am going as a girl regardless of what anyone else thinks."

"Then we will help you," Kaoru smiled, "We can have a dress to you by Monday to try on and everything should be ready by the graduation party on Saturday. If you want, you can either come over to our house before the party to get ready, or we can come over here to help you. Will you be going to the graduation ceremony on Friday as a girl also?"

Glancing at Mori for a second to gauge his reaction, Haruhi turned back towards her three uninvited guests and declared, "No to the ceremony, I am just going to the party as a girl since the host club is going to the actual ceremony together. My dad will probably be around Saturday, so I was planning on going over to Takashi's that morning. You two can meet me there and help me get ready at his house before we head to the party."

"What about me?" Tamaki moaned.

"What about you? Your assistance is not needed for me to get ready. We will see you at the party," Haruhi stated brusquely.

Tamaki screamed and dove into the closet, "Why do they get to help her get ready and not me?"

"What a perv!" The twins laughed causing Tamaki to become vexed as he called them evil doppelgangers.

Glowering, Haruhi snapped, "They get to help me because they know how to do hair and make-up. You would just be in the way. Now get out of that closet right now Tamaki-senpai and get rid of those damn mushrooms or you will never be allowed in my house again!"

"Sorry!" Tamaki squealed before he was once again seated at the table pouting.

When tea was done, Haruhi thanked Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki for the visit and then for all intents and purposes kicked them out of the house. She was still slightly irritated with them and needed a break from Tamaki and his kingly dramatics. Plus she wanted some quiet time with Mori before he had to leave for the night.

"Why does Mori-senpai get to stay?" Tamaki sobbed as he was pulled to the door behind the twins.

"He is my boyfriend and he doesn't annoy me like you do," Haruhi answered before she shut the door and locked it once again. She stood there leaning against the door when she felt herself being propelled forward and landing in a pair of strong arms, "I guess Hunny-senpai was right, Kyoya-senpai was able to talk some sense into them."

"Either that or they realized how much they hurt you and came to the conclusion on their own," Mori spoke gently.

"I don't care how they changed their minds as long as they did it," Haruhi laughed, "At least now I don't have to worry about what my dad will do to me if I let him make me over."

Mori smiled, her laugh was music to his ears and balm for his soul, "That is true, although your dad might try to help if he has the day off."

"True, but I think we are safe, especially since I will be at your house."

"Better now?"

"Much better now, thank you. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Yes, I will stay," Mori hugged her a little tighter before releasing her. He will do anything he can to keep that smile on her face, and if he had to deal with the three morons himself, he would have done it. He was relieved that either what he said or what Kyoya might have said somehow reached their brains and their hearts. Haruhi deserved happiness, not her friends trying to control her life.


	31. You Can Count on Me Mori-senpai

**A/N: Well after all of the email alert problems, looks like everything is back up and running. If for some reason, you did not get the alerts that Another Chance and Still Assuming were updated, I posted chapters for those stories over the weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day, and if you are a mother… Happy Belated Mother's Day! Onto the sad news, this story will be wrapping up in the next few chapters. It has been a fun story to write and to imagine, but it is almost time to put it to bed. Don't worry; Tamaki still has a few more flying moments left. I already have a few new stories planned and will be posting those soon after this and Memories Past December wraps. Enjoy the new chapter! **

Chapter 31 – You Can Count on Me Mori-senpai

Today was the last day of the host club. Everything had been planned and was ready for the graduation party the Host Club would be giving for their seniors. It also meant that graduation was just two days away.

Haruhi, the twins, Kyoya, and Tamaki had been released earlier from their last class period than Mori and Hunny in order to arrive to the music room before them. It was only right to be there when the two seniors arrived and were surprised versus arriving after Hunny and Mori had discovered the party. Where was the fun in that?

As everyone made their last minute preparations, Haruhi found herself lost in her own little world. She was so proud of Mori and thought about the date they went on the last day of finals. It had been almost magical and although they would be separated during the day the following year, they would always have time for each other. She smiled and shook herself out of her daydream just in time; she had come a long way in the last couple of weeks and no longer doubted her relationship's future.

Tamaki noticed the far off look in Haruhi's eye and knew she was thinking about Mori. As much as it still hurt him, he had to admit that love looked good on her; in fact, she was absolutely adorable in his mind. Running across the room to tell her how cute she was, Tamaki yelled, "Haruhi is so Kawaii! No one is as cute as my little girl. Daddy just wants to hug you!" He saw the female host look up with surprised eyes and then in the next instant, he was lying flat on his back unsure of what happened to cause him to see the ceiling and his arms to be bereft.

Dusting her hands and straightening her appearance, Haruhi didn't say anything as everyone came running to check on the girl and to tease the King. He still hadn't learned his lesson and Haruhi didn't think he ever would. It was a miracle she didn't think anyone could pull off. No matter, it was good practice for her and kept her on her toes.

"Hey Haruhi, I think you might have gotten him a little higher in the air this time," Hikaru teased laughing and clutching his side as he noticed Tamaki was looking a little confused and hadn't moved.

"I think I have to agree. You either got a little more lift or Tono is starting to learn how to fly," Kaoru chuckled trying to control the mirth instead of the mirth controlling him. It was a losing battle.

Kyoya appeared in Tamaki's field of vision, "Are you going to lay there all day or are you going to get up? Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai should be here in about five minutes."

"How? What? Mommy?" Tamaki sputtered incomprehensibly.

Kyoya must have understood his question though, mind reader that he is, because he was actually able to answer his blonde best friend, "You tried to grab Haruhi again and once again found yourself sailing through the air and becoming acquainted with the ceiling. It really is your own fault Tamaki. I have actually lost count the number of times she has thrown or tripped you. I never lose count." Snapping his black notebook he was holding closed, he pushed his glasses up his nose and noticed Tamaki shivered a bit. It was good to be Shadow King.

Each twin grabbed a hand and lifted Tamaki off of the ground. He still looked a little dazed, but was none the worse for wear. Clearing his throat, he spoke with a bit more authority than he really felt (then again, that is normal for him… right?), "Haruhi is just so talented and daddy is so proud of you. You won't have to use your self-defense next year though because daddy has decided he will make sure you are safe at all times. It is the least I could do to make sure Mori-senpai's mind is at ease."

Laughing inwardly, Kyoya smirked, "I think that is why he made sure she knew how to defend herself… to mainly protect her from you."

"Why would he do that? I am sure you have it wrong mommy," Tamaki declared.

Kyoya just shook his head and frowned, "If you believe that then just keep doing what you are doing. In fact, why don't you have a talk with Mori-senpai about it? I would love to be present for that conversation."

"I will talk to him about it and you will see that I am right!" Tamaki decreed.

The four other hosts in the room all face palmed. Tamaki just didn't get it sometimes. Kyoya made a mental note to hover around Tamaki any time he was in close proximity to Mori today. He couldn't wait to see what the kendo champion would say to Tamaki's latest delusion.

Tamaki was soon lost to his inner mind theatre and tuned out anyone else that was in the room.

_Inner Mind Theatre of Tamaki (the curtain rises)…_

_Tamaki is escorting Haruhi from class to class and soon five evil villains arrive. They are dressed in all black and each one had a long bushy mustache. They tried to grab Haruhi, but Tamaki was quicker. He was able to fight off all of the evil doers and hog tie each one of them with rope he pulled out of thin air. _

_Haruhi upon seeing the good deed that Tamaki had just done when he rescued her ran to her savior and threw herself into his arms, "You saved me Tamaki-senpai! I don't know what I would have done without you here. There is no way I would have been able to fight off one of them let alone five! I know I am with Takashi now, but you have proven yourself to be just as strong and valiant as he is. Oh thank you! Thank you!"_

_Blushing, Tamaki returned the embrace and swung her around, "I promised Mori-senpai that I would protect you and I will with my life. You have no need to ever fear with me around!"_

_Inner Mind Theatre Concluded (the curtain falls)_

"Snap out of it boss!" The twins yelled in both of Tamaki's ears simultaneiously. Everyone knew where his mind had gone even if they didn't know what he was dreaming.

Tamaki jumped from the sudden noise, "What did you do that for?" Turning towards Haruhi, he screamed, "Don't worry Haruhi. I won't let the vile wretches touch one hair on your head!" He ran towards her to pull her into his arms and instead found himself kissing the floor from her tripping him.

"I think I can take care of myself Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi spoke candidly.

"Kyoya-senpai, did you lose count or just give up on keeping track?" Kaoru asked when he saw the latest action taken.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya sighed, "I started to lose count and decided to just give up."

"He won't ever learn, will he?" Hikaru pondered aloud.

"No, I don't think he will," Kyoya smirked and looked down at his watch before announcing, "They should be here any minute now."

All five of the members currently in the room waited for the doors to open, and for Hunny and Mori to walk into the room. Soon the door knob was turning and the two seniors were walking in to a chorus of "SURPRISE!" Hunny and Mori scanned the room and their eyes saw a huge banner congratulating them and the biggest cake either of them have ever seen.

Hunny was in sugar heaven, "Is that cake for us?"

"Yes, Hunny-senpai and you can have some after we welcome our guests," Kyoya smiled at the small senior.

"Takashi, did you hear that?" The shortest host asked in an awed whisper.

"Hm," Mori replied with a small smile as he watched his girlfriend approach him, "So this is the surprise?"

"Yep. This is your graduation party from the Host Club," Haruhi beamed.

"You missed it Mori-senpai! Haruhi really got some air today with Tono!" The twins declared excitedly.

Tamaki took exception to this, "Will you two doppelgangers shut up!"

Mori lifted his eyebrow in silent question and waited for Haruhi to explain what happened.

"He tried to grab me again, so I defended myself. It is the same story every time and it isn't going to change anytime soon. What he learns today will be forgotten tomorrow," Haruhi sighed.

"You mean in ten minutes," Hikaru snickered.

"Stop trying to poison Haruhi's mind!" Tamaki screamed and he took off after the twins chasing him around the room.

"Tama-chan just doesn't quite get it, does he Haru-Chan?" Hunny giggled watching the action unfold in front of his eyes. Of course when the trio got too close to that glorious cake, he sucked in his breath and did not relax until they were far enough away from it before muttering, "If they hurt the cake though, I will be teaching them a lesson I am sure they will all remember."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kyoya sighed, "I may let you teach them that lesson anyway Hunny-senpai." He looked down at his watch again and decided they had about thirty minutes until the club actually opened for business, now was the perfect time for Tamaki to have that discussion with a certain senior, "Tamaki, didn't you want to talk to Mori-senpai about something?"

Tamaki stopped in mid run and looked at Kyoya blankly for a moment before it dawned on him what his best friend was referring to, "Oh yes. Thank you for reminding me Mon Ami!"

While Tamaki was making his way towards the group of four, Haruhi mumbled, "Oh great, this is going to be interesting. Baka!"

Mori looked down at her and was about to question her when he noticed the smirk Kyoya had on his face. That wasn't good. The look on Tamaki's face said he was excited to share something with him. That wasn't good either. He was seriously considering grabbing Haruhi and Hunny so that he could make a run for it. He stood his ground though, at least for now.

Stopping to stand directly in front of Mori, Tamaki gave his solemn vow, "I wanted to let you know that there is no need to fear over the safety of Haruhi next school year. I promise to watch over her and make sure she arrives to all of her classes and Host Club on time and without incident. No harm shall befall her while she is under my watchful eye. I have already told her that she will not need to use any of her self-defense that you and Hunny-senpai have been teaching her because I will ensure that no ruffian harms a single hair on her head or one cell on her precious body."

Mori thought that proclamation ended on the creepy and perverted side of things. Shaking his head, he said, "No."

"No? No what?" Tamaki inquired perplexed about what the man could be denying.

"No, you will not take care of her. If you did that, she would have to defend herself more around you. It is bad enough that she has already thrown you once today."

"Actually twice. She also had to trip him after she threw him," Kyoya supplied.

"MOMMY! Why are you telling him that?" Tamaki wailed.

Rolling his eyes, Mori exhaled loudly frustrated with his blonde friend, "She can take care of herself without your help. I don't escort her to classes now and she will not need an escort next year. She does not need your help in defending herself or your protection next year. The only person I think she does need protection from is you. You do not need to do anything to help her next year. If you attempt it, you will be the only one responsible for what happens. Next time it might be worse than the pond. Besides you and Hikaru are the only ones that she has had to defend herself against."

"But Mori-senpai, my little girl is just a child and is unable to fight off attackers!" Tamaki cried completely ignoring the last bit of what Mori said.

"She does just fine against you Tama-Chan," Hunny glared.

The blonde King smiled down at Hunny like he was placating a child, "Only because I am not trying to attack her."

"So you are saying I knew you were going to try to attack me every time and therefore I was prepared for it?" Haruhi leered.

Tamaki started to get nervous, "No, that is not what I was saying at all. I was saying that I am not trying to hurt you."

Fisting her hands, Haruhi was getting peeved, "I call bullshit on that one! You try to run up to me or sneak up on me every day like an attacker. If I can take you down, I think I am more than safe on the Ouran grounds. Unless you are saying that Ouran isn't a safe school. Is that what you are saying Tamaki-senpai?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Tamaki screeched.

"Then if the school is safe, I don't have anyone after me, and I know karate… why do I need your help?" Haruhi probed knowing that Tamaki was getting flustered.

"I am just trying to assure Mori-senpai that I will oversee your care next year," Tamaki cried.

"No need," Mori said before grabbing Haruhi's hand and walking away from an upset King.

"I told you Tamaki. She doesn't need you to protect her. If you try to pursue that, I will have to take action to protect her from you. With as much as you would hover, she may throw a shoulder out and then be unable to help out in the Host Club," Kyoya smirked pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Tamaki opened and closed his mouth like a fish several times before screaming and running to his corner of woe. He was pouting and mumbling, "Mommy, neighbor, and daughter hate me. I was only trying to make sure daughter was safe and away from any danger."

Kyoya shook his head and moved over to his table. It was almost time to open the doors and he needed to double check his list before they admitted the ladies.

The party was a raving success. Nothing less was expected since it was a Host Club event. The ladies gushed over Mori and Hunny and wanted to spend as much time as possible with the two hosts that would soon be leaving them. Cake was eaten, tears were shed, and screams of MOE filled the air. With hearts in their eyes, girls were overcome with emotions and were filled with sadness at loss of the two seniors.

Haruhi watched the festivities and entertained the guests she had that were not surrounding the cousins. She smiled a lot and had to hold back her laughter more than once. When her customers asked her what was so funny, she made up the excuse that she thought it was adorable how Hunny was gobbling up the giant cake and didn't seem to be finding his fill. In actuality, it was the number of girls that seemed to be throwing themselves at the two seniors. She knew Mori was uncomfortable with it, and Hunny was probably ignoring it so that he could concentrate on his sweet treat.

When Haruhi gave her excuse to yet another patron, her customer responded with, "I heard that a couple of marriage contracts were suggested for both of them now that they are graduating, but neither of their families accepted any of the girls. I wonder what their families are looking for in a future bride."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes on her customer wondering if the girl harbored secret feelings for the loli shota or wild host, but the only thing she saw was honest curiosity, "Maybe they are going to allow them to pick their own bride."

"Maybe. I also heard that Mori-senpai already has a girlfriend and that Hunny-senpai has someone he is interested in. I guess we will see at their graduation party. Will you be attending Haruhi-kun?"

"Um no. Unfortunately I had other plans and will not be attending that day," Haruhi lied. She couldn't exactly tell her guest that she would be in attendance, but dressed as a girl.

Looking a little sad at missing her favorite host, the girl said, "That is too bad. I am sure you will be missed."

"Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai understand. We are planning on celebrating next week together when I cook them dinner," Haruhi smiled.

"That is so kawaii!" The girl gushed and the discussion was over.

As soon as the last guest was escorted out and the club doors closed for the day, everyone seemed to collapse on the nearest couch. The party was great, but each host had been busy and were happy to see it end.

"Haruhi, you do not need to worry about cleaning up today. I have a crew coming in to clean up the mess from the party," Kyoya announced.

"Thank you Kyoya-senpai!" Haruhi grinned. Even though her debt had been paid off, she was the one that still did the majority of the cleaning around the club room. It was nice that she wouldn't have to clean up the chaos from the celebrating.

"You're welcome. Everyone, this was our last hosting session. The day after tomorrow will be the graduation ceremony and the day after that will be the party. The twins and Haruhi have their plan in place for the party. As for the ceremony, since there will be a crowd, I suggest we all arrive an hour before the ceremony and meet in this room, with the exception of Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai of course. We can all go down together and sit in the same area. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

"Kyoya, that is the perfect plan!" Tamaki bounced enthusiastically.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya stated, "Naturally. Haruhi are you still planning on coming to the ceremony as a male student?"

"Yes, I am," she responded.

"Ok. As for the party, everyone knows the time the party is and we will all meet there. Tamaki if you want to ride together, we can discuss it at another time," Kyoya explained.

"Why aren't we all riding together?" Tamaki questioned.

Everyone sweat dropped and wondered how he could rank as high as he did in school. Kyoya spoke in an irritated tone, "Because you baka, Haruhi is riding with Mori and his family. Hunny will be riding with his family. The twins will be riding with the Morinozuka family also since they are helping Haruhi get ready for the party."

"Oh," Tamaki whispered.

"Now everyone will be at the party and we will be able to see each other there. Don't worry Tamaki; no one is leaving you behind. Are there any other questions or concerns?" Kyoya probed. When everyone shook their heads "no", he spoke up once more, "Well that is all then. Great job this year everyone!"

It seemed surreal to everyone that this year was coming to an end. It did not seem like that much time had passed since Haruhi had walked into music room 3 and broke the vase that had indebted her to the Host Club. So many adventures and memories had happened since that fateful day, and it was one that touched each of the hosts' lives for the better. No one seemed ready to leave the club room behind that day, so everyone stayed just a little longer and shared some additional time with each other making some more memories.


	32. Pomp and Circumstance and Reminiscing

**A/N: Host Club is over for the year and it is now time for graduation. Anyone else tearing up at the thought of our Wild and Loli Shota hosts leaving Ouran? Tissue please. Ok, now that I have composed myself again, let's get on with this. I was originally going to put just a quick graduation scene and then move onto the party, but this chapter kind of got away from me, so it is only the graduation. As I was writing it, I kind of felt that insight was needed. The party will be in the next one. Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

Chapter 32 – Pomp and Circumstance and Reminiscing

Graduation day proved to be a grand spectacle at Ouran complete with celebrity speakers, a large orchestra, and cocktail hour. The boys wore blue graduation robes, and the girls wore yellow. Haruhi wondered why they didn't just wear their uniforms; it was the same colors and would have saved them some money, but then again this was Ouran and it was full of damn rich bastards.

The hosts had met in the music room before the ceremony as agreed before they walked down to the ceremony together. They were able to find seats together close to the stage so that they could see everything and their friends could see them. Although with the ruckus Tamaki and the twins were doing, it would be hard to miss the Host Club. Somehow Haruhi had become the buffer between the two sides, but she wasn't sure if that was the best idea or not, "If you three don't stop creating a scene, I will make sure that you cannot disturb the ceremony!"

"Haruhi? You wouldn't hurt daddy, would you?" Tamaki asked a little scared of the only female host.

"Of course she would take you out boss. You're a pervert!" The twins teased him.

Pinching the bridge of her nose much like a certain Shadow King, she growled, "I will take all three of you out if you don't stop. This is Takashi and Hunny's day and I refuse to let you three ruin it for them. Now sit down, shut up, and wait for everything to begin!" Under her breath she murmured, "I swear I feel like I am babysitting sometimes."

Kyoya silently applauded the girl for her threats and cheered her on when the three trouble makers actually listened to her. He wouldn't tell her that though because that is not what he does, but he would think it, _"She has come a long way since she first step foot into the music room for the first time. She now stands up for herself, fights with Tamaki and the twins instead of trying to run from them, has thrown Tamaki probably a hundred times, and although she has always been confident, there is a new level of confidence in her. Dating Mori-senpai has been good for her."_ Tuning back into the conversation happening to his right, he chuckled to himself before giving Haruhi a slight bit of help, "Hikaru, Kaoru I don't care if you are bored. This is a graduation ceremony and you will not do anything to disrupt it. Am I understood? You really don't know what will happen if you ruin it and bring negative attention to the Host Club."

Grasping each other and holding tight, Hikaru and Kaoru were instantly afraid, "Yes, Kyoya-senpai." As they looked deeply into each other's eyes, they declared, "Kyoya-senpai is scary!"

"Don't worry Kaoru, I will protect you with my entire being," Hikaru brushed a fake tear away from Kaoru's cheek with his thumb.

"I can't ask you to be the sacrifice for me. I love you too much for that!" Kaoru cried out.

"Will you two knock it off?" Haruhi ordered when she noticed that the twins had started on their act and were drawing the attention of a crowd of girls that were watching everything unfold with baited breath and hearts in their eyes. Haruhi could only imagine that they would soon be shouting that one word before they would be surrounded by tall flames that would not burn them. She just didn't get the draw.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya smirked, "We all have a role to play and they are giving our customers what they want."

"Well can't they do that in the club room and not in the middle of graduation?" Haruhi suggested.

"It is hardly the middle since it hasn't even started yet," Kyoya pointed out.

Sighing, Haruhi leaned against the back of her chair grumbling under her breath, "Whatever. They still need to save it."

Kyoya was too far away to understand what she was muttering, but he could guess what she was saying. He was about to say something else when the chairman walked up on the stage and started speaking and then Pomp and Circumstance started to play signaling the entrance of the graduates. He heard Tamaki and the twins yell for Mori and Hunny, and watched as Haruhi just smiled at her boyfriend and his cousin while shaking her head at the three morons surrounding her. Leaning back in his chair, he started to listen to the speeches and thought about the past year. A lot of things had happened over the course of his second year in high school and most of them had to do with the club. They were his closest friends and although he had counted them friends (sort of) at the beginning of the year, there was one change that had brought them all together and made them all real friends… Haruhi. She brought the twins out of their little world, made him think about something more than merits, helped to give Tamaki a family he never really had, mothered Hunny when he needed it, and helped Mori smile just a little bit more in front of others. She had taught them all something about themselves and he knew they were all better men for it.

Hikaru and Kaoru were of the same mindset that Kyoya was. As they listened to the speeches drone on and on, they let their mind wander to reminisce about their first year in high school. It was a good one and they had learned a lot about life. They had discovered that someone outside of their family could tell them apart and it gave them hope that others would also. They now knew that it was ok to let people in, to have friends and loved ones outside of each other. Cutting a glance at Haruhi, they knew it had all started with her and they could not be more grateful.

Sitting next to his "daughter", Tamaki wondered where the time had gone. It didn't seem like it had been two years since he and Kyoya started the host club and now two of the hosts were graduating. This past year had brought them all together and they truly became a family. He found love and he lost it, but at least he knew she was happy. He could be content in that knowledge and accept it because she had chosen such a good man to be with. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow or the next day, but he knew that he would always have the others to be there at his side to support him and that was his greatest treasure.

Hunny sat with the other graduates. At the beginning of the year he had told his cousin that he wanted something big to happen to really cement their senior year in his mind. It got more than he bargained for the day he met Haruhi. He had never seen Mori react the way he did with her. She brought something out in him and Hunny knew she was going to be someone special. She never cared who they were or what they acted like, she accepted them for who they were and got to know the real people beyond the Host Club persona. Looking in the direction of the other club members, Hunny could see her sitting between Tamaki and the twins and knew she probably wanted to slap them. He giggled quietly before looking front again and thought about how she had brought six men to their knees with her blunt ways and the fact she brushed off their wealth and power as inconsequential. She was special and he couldn't wait to call her cousin too.

Glancing at his cousin out of the corner of his eye, Mori saw Hunny turn around and knew he was looking at the others. His lips started to curl up of their own accord. He never thought he would find someone he could love as much as he did Haruhi. He really didn't believe he would find someone so accepting of his relationship with Hunny, but it had happened and she had opened his eyes to a new world filled with hope and love. She loved all of the hosts and showed them the men they could be; and they all strived to become that man. Even Kyoya was affected by her, although he wasn't sure the Shadow King would ever admit it. She had touched them all and he had a feeling she wasn't done yet. As soon as he could take his test and complete it, he was going to come back and propose to her. He would not let her get away from him.

Haruhi saw Hunny look their way and smiled. He looked like he couldn't sit still in his seat even for a little bit. After he gave his valedictorian speech, it seemed to just get worse for this small blonde. Thinking about everything that happened to her over the course of the past year, she had to admit that the year didn't suck and maybe breaking that vase was a good thing. She had gotten some great friends through it and found the love of her life. She would have rather not dealt with paying back 8 million yen, but it wasn't so bad… if she was forced to admit it, that is.

The ceremony seemed to take forever with all of the speeches, but soon it was time to present the diplomas to the graduates. When Hunny and Mori received theirs, they got the loudest yells and screams and it didn't come only from the host club. Looking around the audience, girls could be found crying and sobbing at the loss of their favorite hosts.

When it finally ended and Fanfare and Recessional had been played for the exiting graduates, the Host Club got up and made their way outside in order to find their friends. It turned out that they had to wait for the crowd to die down though since Hunny and Mori had been swarmed by other students (mainly girls).

Gazing around the area, Haruhi spotted the Haninozuka and Morinozuka families and decided to say hello. Unfortunately the others decided to come with her. Bowing when she approached, Haruhi straightened and said, "Good afternoon everyone!"

"Haruhi, I thought I taught you better than that! That is not how you address the heads of families!" Tamaki cried out before turning to the families, "I am so sorry for my daughter's rudeness Haninozuka-sama, Morinozuka-sama."

"It is quite alright Tamaki. Haruhi is very familiar with our families and there was nothing wrong with how we were addressed," Akira Morinozuka chuckled attempting to remember that his future daughter-in-law was supposed to be a boy today.

Yorihisa Haninozuka narrowed his eyes on the host club king and shook his head, "You need him to be a boy and yet you say daughter. Haruhi is perfectly fine in how he addressed us. As Akira said, he is familiar with our families."

Pulling her into a bone crushing hug, Tamaki squealed, "I am so proud of you! You are just too adorable beyond words!" The moment didn't last long and Haruhi was dropped quickly as Tamaki grabbed his head. He turned quickly to see Satoshi standing next to him with a shinai in his hands.

"Tamaki I know to use this and I am not afraid to do so. Just ask Yasuchika," Satoshi leered.

Before Haruhi could hit the ground, Chika had grabbed her and pulled her to safety. Glaring at Tamaki, he snapped, "Are you trying to hurt Haruhi-senpai?"

Tamaki was at a loss and stammering, "I-I wasn't trying to hurt her!"

The group silently decided to ignore him and his ramblings because that was just who Tamaki was. However, the younger Haninozuka and Morinozuka had decided to stand guard over Haruhi even though they knew she could handle herself. It wasn't long after that Hunny and Mori finally made their way to their family and friends.

When the two graduates approached, they witnessed Tamaki cultivating mushrooms and instead of asking chose to pretend like they didn't see a thing. It was just easier that way. They also noticed that their brothers were flanking and guarding Haruhi, and decided it had something to do with why Tamaki was pouting. With both of them shaking their heads, they approached and bowed to their parents before Mori walked up to Haruhi and patted her head. He wanted to do so much more, but knew he couldn't until later.

Hunny was bouncing around excitedly, "Thanks for coming everyone!"

"Congratulations Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai. Tamaki aren't you going to congratulate our friends, or are you done with your princely duties for the year?" Kyoya mocked his best friend knowing that Tamaki would immediately jump up and rush over to the group. He wasn't wrong.

Bolting up from his position on the ground, Tamaki rushed over to Hunny and Mori shouting, "Congratulations on graduating! We in the Host Club salute you and want to tell you how much you will be missed. We look forward to your visits and you are welcome to come back any time you want to!"

"Thank you Tama-Chan!" Hunny giggled at the dramatics his friend was throwing into his speech.

"Yah thanks," Mori said standing as close as possible to Haruhi. Gazing down at her, he asked, "Are you still coming to dinner with us tonight?"

"Yep, I have my change of clothes in the music room," Haruhi answered softly.

Nodding, Mori suggested, "Why don't you go and grab your things then? We will wait here for you." He wanted to go with her so that he could kiss her, but he knew he couldn't with the amount of people still milling around them trying to get to him and his little cousin. He watched as Haruhi walked off towards the music room followed by Satoshi and Chika.

"Where is my daughter going?" Tamaki asked.

"To get his things so that we can go soon. Right Takashi?" Hunny answered.

"Yah," Mori agreed.

"Why did Satoshi and Yasuchika have to go with her? I could have escorted her," Tamaki stated.

All eyes turned towards the Host Club king and then they sweat dropped. Nobody could believe that he actually asked that question, but then again this was Tamaki and they shouldn't be surprised. Kyoya was the one that finally spoke up, "I think it was to make sure Haruhi arrived back in one piece and not pulverized by your 'daddy embrace of death'."

"MOMMY! How could you say that?" Tamaki exclaimed shocked at the Shadow Kings words.

Pinching the bridge of his nose before pushing up his glasses, Kyoya glared, "I say that _daddy_ because it is true and if you start to grow mushrooms again, you will regret it. You are in a public place _daddy_ and you will behave accordingly."

"Yes mommy," Tamaki whimpered with his bottom lip sticking way out in order to emphasize the pout.

Used to his antics, Kyoya decided that he wouldn't pay attention to his best friend and turned back towards the rest of the group joining in the conversation until Haruhi returned. He could see the events play out in his mind before it happened, but he was unable to stop anything. Instead he watched on as Tamaki got excited when he saw Haruhi again and ran towards her at full speed. She was pushed behind Satoshi, who stood guard and pulled his shinai from who knows where. He could tell Chika had been waiting for this moment for a long time and winced as Chika grabbed Tamaki's arm, delivered a powerful chop to the side and threw him about ten feet away. Tamaki did not move and turned a grey color as his soul flew up and out of his body hovering over the crowd from above.

"Chika!" Haruhi yelled. When she had her friend's attention, she smirked, "How did you get him to go so far? I only get him to go a couple of feet."

Chika and Satoshi looked at her and then each other before turning back to her and starting to laugh. That was not what they expected her to say. They expected her to chastise them and instead she wanted a lesson on going the distance. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Satoshi chuckled, "It is the difference between months of lessons and a lifetime of lessons."

"Hmmm, do you think I will be able to get that distance one day?" Haruhi asked looking very serious.

Shaking his head, Chika was still a little surprised in her reaction, "Maybe."

Feeling the presence of Mori next to her a second later, Haruhi looked up smiling, "Hey!"

"Are you alright?" Mori asked looking her over quickly.

Haruhi waved him off, "Yah, Satoshi and Chika handled him this time."

Nodding, Mori looked over at where Tamaki's body had landed and couldn't be upset. The blonde had been warned time and time again. Haruhi had thrown him countless times; so this time Chika had taken matters into his own hands and Mori could see nothing wrong with what happened. They were defending Haruhi.

"Tama-Chan just doesn't get it," Hunny sighed.

As soon as Tamaki landed, Hikaru and Kaoru moved over to the unmoving body and watched it turn colors. They saw the transparent soul float out of their king's body, but could do nothing but shake their heads and chuckle. Now they were poking the body and trying to grab the floating Tamaki, "Boss, it was only a matter of time before this happened."

"Wake up Tono!" Hikaru prodded his prostrate friend again.

Finally grasping the tail of the soul, Kaoru dragged it to the body and tried to reinsert it, "Yah, boss. You were told to stop all of that. I hope you learned your lesson this time."

Tamaki's soul was sucked back into his lifeless body and the blonde immediately regained his color. "Mommy," he whispered eerily.

Standing over his best friend, Kyoya told him, "I hope that this will stop your antics going forward, but knowing you it won't last longer than a few days. Please try to contain yourself. Now get up off of the ground and let's remember where we are. Mori-senpai, can you please help our fearless leader to his feet?" Mori stepped forward and Tamaki was standing up a second later when the taller man pulled him up without much exertion. "Thank you Mori-senpai. Tamaki, are you about ready to go?" Kyoya asked before turning towards Hunny and Mori's families, "I think it is best if I get him home. He has had a shock to his system." The crowd was wondering what happened, but chalked it up to it being just another event for the Host Club. Kyoya smirked and thought that this could prove to be profitable for next term.

No one blamed Chika for acting the way he did; in fact most people were telling him that it was a job well done. Haruhi turned to her kohai and asked in hushed tones, "Do you feel a little better now?"

"You know, I kind of do," Chika remarked with a mischievous smile on his face. He felt really good after his little demonstration.

"I figured you would," she snickered.

Akira and Yorihisa observed everything with the watchful eyes fathers had. It appeared that it was more than just Mori and Hunny that were protective over the petite girl, Satoshi and Chika had also taken up the burden of her protectors. It went beyond sensei and student. She had done something few people thought was possible, gave Hunny and Chika common ground outside of martial arts, helped to keep Satoshi calm, and brought Mori out of his shell. They also knew that she, more than the club itself, was responsible for uniting the men their sons associated with. She was a rare find and neither patriarch could find fault with her. Glancing at each other before their eyes returned to the group, they couldn't wait to see what happened next.


	33. Party Time!

**A/N: I couldn't put this story down and after I wrote the graduation scene, I really wanted to write about the party chapter because I already knew what I wanted to happen and everything was planned. I was so excited about it, I hope you are too! So for my readers of my other stories, bear with me, they will be updated tomorrow. Enjoy the party… this is your personal invitation and all of you are guests of Mori and Hunny, oh and Hunny wanted me to remember Usa-Chan also. **

Chapter 33 – Party Time!

Haruhi was lying in a large bed and someone was trying to shake her awake. She tried to swat them away, but it wasn't working. The pest was being, well a pest. "Stop it dad!" She yelled only to hear a deep laugh coming from behind her. Flipping over, Haruhi turned her glare on Mori and immediately changed her frown to a smile, "What time is it?" She had decided to stay the night at Mori's house the night before since she was planning on getting ready for the party at his house anyway and her father had been working the night before.

"8:20 and you told me that you were setting your alarm and would meet me at the dojo twenty minutes ago," Mori responded shaking his head and he chuckled some more. It was a rare day that he could catch his girlfriend unaware like he had this morning. When she hadn't shown up at the dojo on time, he figured that she had been delayed for some reason. He really wasn't expecting to find her still sleeping though.

Sitting bolt upright in bed, Haruhi rubbed her face with both hands, "Sorry Takashi. I thought I did set my alarm." She reached over and grabbed her cell phone only to realize that she set it for PM instead of AM. Normally getting up early was not a problem for her, but the last few days had been spent without much sleep and she was very aware of how tired she was last night when she finally made her way to bed. "Looks like I don't know how to set my alarm clock," she giggled.

"Do you want to rest some more? I can wake you up when it's time for Hikaru and Kaoru to arrive."

"No, I am ok," she protested just as a large yawn escaped from her mouth.

Mori raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure about that?"

She tried to stifle another yawn that was threatening to break out of her, "No, I am fine and would rather spend some time with you than sleep right now. Besides now that I am awake, I don't know that I could go back to sleep."

Studying her for a moment, Mori made a decision, "Why don't you get dressed and I will ask the cook to get breakfast together for us. We will put off our workout this morning and relax a little bit." He wasn't about to tell her that he had been up since 6:00 and had already been through his kendo drills.

"That sounds good," Haruhi agreed with a smile. She would have been happy to have her normal kendo lessons that morning, but she was feeling a bit worn out and didn't mind the idea of some quiet time with her boyfriend.

After Haruhi got ready, she made her way downstairs and into the dining room where she found Mori holding a picnic basket, "I thought we were going to eat breakfast together."

Lifting a hand and brushing her hair behind her ear, Mori smiled, "We are, but I thought we could have breakfast in the garden." He grabbed her hand and linked their fingers together before leading her out of the house and into the estate's private garden. He knew it was one of Haruhi's favorite places to spend time.

Breakfast was nothing short of perfect in Haruhi's eyes. They were alone in the garden that Haruhi loved and the food was wonderful as always. As she gazed at the man she had come to love so much, she smiled and knew that no matter what happened next, he would always be a staple in her life. Leaning over, she used her finger to signal him closer before she kissed him. All in all it was a perfect morning, with a perfect guy, in a beautiful location. She couldn't ask for more than that, well at least not right now.

Around 10:30 the twins appeared in order to help Haruhi get ready. Since the party was on the casual side, the dress they selected was black with dark blue roses embroidered into the material. According to them it was to pay homage to the wild host's rose color. The dress itself had a square neckline and was fitted down to her waist where it flared ever so slightly and stopped just above her knee. It had think straps to help hold up the dress and had a dark blue rose pin where the strap met dress on her left shoulder. Luckily, the twins gave her flats to wear so that she wouldn't fall. Haruhi grumbled, but somehow didn't protest with anything that the twins did or said to her. She was grateful for their help, and knew that it was almost her dad that was going to be getting her ready instead of her friends. She was relieved for the small miracle to say the least.

When the twins agreed to make her dress, Haruhi had begged and pleaded with the twins to give her something comfortable and to allow her to wear flats for the party. At first they had tried to argue with her, but when they found out the schematics, they had to agree. The party was at a park that had been reserved for the day and into the night. There would be food, dancing, games, a carousel (specifically requested by Hunny), and other various things that were being rented just for the party. It was going to be a blow out; and the best part of it was that she would be on her boyfriend's arm the whole time.

Exiting the room where the twins were preparing what they entitled their masterpiece, Haruhi found Mori standing in the hall waiting for her. She spun around so that he could get the full affect and asked, "What do you think?"

Mori was speechless, not that he talked all that much to begin with unless he needed to say something, but at that moment, words failed him. He would open his mouth to talk and then quickly close it; no words seemed to measure up to the angel he viewed before him.

"Well dear brother, it looks like our work is as fabulous as ever," Hikaru chortled.

Kaoru snickered, "I do believe you are right Hikaru. Mori-senpai is even more speechless than usual. We aren't even getting a grunt."

"Well, Mori-senpai, is Haruhi cute or what?" They asked the stoic man together noticing the loving expression he allowed on his face for Haruhi. They could both see how good the couple was together and how much they loved each other. A pang of guilt that they tried to separate them and a touch of regret were felt by both twins, but it was time to let her go and they knew it.

Clearing his throat, Mori touched Haruhi's face brushing his thumb over her cheek and whispered only one word, "Beautiful."

"Thank you Takashi," Haruhi blushed as she leaned into the touch.

"Don't mess up her lipstick," the twins yelled before running off and leaving the couple alone.

When the twins were gone, Mori leaned down and gave her a soft gentle kiss that only lasted for a second. He could see that Haruhi wanted more, but he didn't want to destroy the twins work. They would have time for that later and today he wouldn't have to worry about not touching her in front of others. She was going to be his girlfriend at the party and in real life today, but the only problem was she wasn't going to be Haruhi; she was going to be Hana. If anyone asked why she looked like Haruhi, they were going to say that they were related and let everyone assume how they were related. "Are you ready to go?" He asked her breathlessly. The party was going to start at 2:00, but since they were hosting the party, the Morinozuka and Haninozuka families wanted to be there early.

Sighing, Haruhi nodded but did not step away from him, "I am, but one more kiss for luck, and remember… I can always fix lipstick."

Mori chuckled a little, but leaned down and gave in to Haruhi's request. Pulling her into his arms, it was a kiss that held all of the promises he has for her and their future together. It told her of his love and the happiness he felt that she would be by his side all day as more than just a fellow host and friend.

When he finally pulled back, Haruhi started laughing as she pulled out a handkerchief from her small purse and start wiping his mouth, "Sorry, but I don't think this color pink is the right shade for you."

Taking the material from her hands, he finished wiping his mouth off as she reapplied her lipstick, "I guess we should go before we are late." If he were to admit anything, and he was willing to admit this if anyone asked, he would rather skip the party and spend the day with alone with his girlfriend.

"I guess," she sighed and grabbed his hand so that they could walk down to the living room together.

As they descended the stairs a hush fell over the room. Everyone was waiting for the couple to appear and when they did, everyone agreed that Haruhi looked beautiful. "Haruhi, you are gorgeous!" Michiko Morinozuka gushed as she ran up to the girl and gave her a small motherly hug. Everyone voiced their agreement and soon they were all on their way. The Haninozuka family would meet them at the park.

Pulling into the park, Haruhi could see that everything was already set up and ready for the party to start. There was so much stuff and it reminded her more of a small fair than a graduation party, but then again Hunny was one of the graduates and he wanted to have fun. Most of the party ideas came from him, and she had to agree that if nothing else people were going to have fun today; and that included her.

As Haruhi stepped out of the limo, she was pulled into a big embrace with a small blonde screaming, "KAWAII! HARU-CHAN YOU LOOK SO CUTE!"

"Mitsukuni, she is Hana," Mori reminded his small cousin.

Hunny pulled back from the girl and looked embarrassed, "Sorry Hana-Chan!"

Haruhi laughed and pulled Hunny into another hug, "Its ok Hunny-senpai. Just make sure you remember when the others get here."

"Hey, we just got a text from the boss. He is going to be a little late because he had to go somewhere with his father. He will be here by 4:00 though," Hikaru said as he read the text that came through on his phone.

"Kyoya is already here," Kaoru spoke up watching the host club vice president approach the group.

Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya smirked, "It would appear that I am. Hana, you look lovely." In reality, he thought the twins had done a remarkable job on her. She still looked like Haruhi, but there was so much more and she could easily pass for a different person; albeit one related to their secret princess.

"Thank you Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi smiled knowing that Kyoya did not always give compliments unless there was something to gain. That was just who he was and he was still one of her closest friends.

The parents left the kids alone after warning Hunny and Chika not to fight. They didn't want everything destroy before the party could even get started.

Guests started to arrive at around two and immediately started to have fun. There was so much to do and experience, and there was something for everyone. As planned, Haruhi was introduced as Mori's girlfriend Hana and they stuck to each other like glue. Mori could tell that some of the girls were jealous, but there was nothing that they could do; Mori was for all intents and purposes Haruhi's. Haruhi saw the girls that had been trying to enter a marriage contract with Mori and Hunny, and could feel their glares upon her as they whispered, "She is the reason I am not marrying Mori-senpai? I am so much better than her!" There were also whispers of people saying that she looked like Haruhi, but since she was a relative, that would make sense.

Haruhi couldn't help but be nervous as the day wore on. The whispers and the looks made her a little self-conscious and she would wonder if her make-up was messed up or if her wig was askew. Everything was in place and appeared as it should be; Mori kept reminding her of that. They just wanted what she had, and she knew it.

Four o'clock came and went and still Tamaki did not appear. The hosts waited for him at the pavilion and tried to call him, but it went straight to voice mail. They all figured that he was held up in the meeting and would make his appearance sooner or later. The party was supposed to continue until 10:00 or so anyway, so he had plenty of time to arrive.

Instead of waiting around for an absent Tamaki until almost five, Mori looked down at Haruhi and asked, "Do you want to dance and then maybe we can get something to eat?"

Haruhi nodded beaming, "I would love to dance with you."

As the couple made their way to the dance floor, the other hosts followed them. This was their first dance in public as a couple. Unfortunately, they never made it onto the actual dance floor. Tamaki did however… on his back with something in his hand.

Tamaki had been running late to the party. He wanted to decline his father's "offer", more like order, that he accompany him to a business luncheon, but he couldn't and he knew it. Instead he sent a text to his friends and let them know that he would make it to the graduation party, but he was going to be late. He wouldn't get to see Haruhi make her entrance and he would miss her introduction to the guests, but he would make it eventually and he would get to see her all dressed up and looking as feminine as possible.

When he finally made it, he ran towards the pavilion but stopped short since he noticed his friends walking towards the dance floor. He immediately spotted Haruhi on the arm of Mori and completely forgot that she was not supposed to be Haruhi at the party. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. Running towards his friends, he was shouting as loud as he could in order to get her attention above the noise of the party, "Haruhi! Daddy finally made it! Haruhi!"

Haruhi never heard someone calling her name, but she did notice that the crowd seemed to be looking at something behind her. She was able to turn around just in time to see a blonde flash dressed in a light blue shirt and black slacks running towards her yelling like a madman. She didn't think, she just reacted and before it dawned on her that it was Tamaki, she had grabbed his arm and twisted it just as he was about to embrace her. She then used his momentum as leverage as she swung him overhead and threw him. When she looked at her prey, there was Tamaki moaning, lying on his back, holding a dark brown wig in his hands: Haruhi's wig. Reaching up to touch her head, it was confirmed… she only touched short hair. Tamaki had ripped off part of her disguise.

Everyone was in shock. They hadn't expected this Hana girl to throw Tamaki like she did. They wondered if she knew him and when they looked from the Prince of the Host Club to Hana, they gasped. That wasn't Hana standing there, it was more than evident that it was Haruhi and he was a she. The whispers started. The looks and the disbelief were a physical presence among the crowd and it was growing: both the crowd and the feelings.

The twins ran to Tamaki and helped him to his feet, "Boss, are you ok?"

"Huh, yah. I guess I should have expected that," he shakily told them as he raised his hand to run his hand through his golden locks. As he raised his hand he noticed two things: his arm was oddly heavier than normal and a scalp of brown hair was tangled in his cufflink. With his gaze fixated on the hair, Tamaki started to tremble. There was only one person that wig could belong to. Slowly he moved his eyes from the wig hanging on his arm to the girl standing next to Mori hoping that he was wrong and it wasn't hers. His prayers were not answered though for standing there looking angry as her dark aura was making an appearance stood Haruhi with short hair. He could hear the voices in the crowd as he started to become aware of his surroundings.

"Haruhi's a girl?" "Why was Haruhi pretending to be a boy?" "Is she really with Mori-senpai?" "Is that why Tamaki always calls her his daughter?" "What is going on here?" "Is this a joke? Is the Host Club up to something?" The questions were in abundance.

"Haruhi, I'm sorry," Tamaki choked as he started to walk towards her.

Narrowing her eyes in a glare, she growled, "If you are really sorry, it wouldn't have happened. You would have thought you would have learned your lesson months ago, but apparently you can't stop. Can you?" She felt Mori wrap her in his arms.

Kyoya stepped forward to try and diffuse the situation as quickly as possible and whispered, "Well there is no way around this since Tamaki decided to act without thinking again." Speaking up in order to address the crowd and allow Haruhi to get her demon under control, he stated, "It is true. Haruhi is a girl and she is dating Mori-senpai."

"OH MY GOD! LOVE BLOOMED IN THE HOST CLUB LIKE I THOUGHT IT WOULD!" Renge yelled.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kyoya continued, "It was never her intention to lie to any of you and had plans to tell you the truth herself, but I guess plans change." He was giving Tamaki a very pointed look.

"Why did she pretend?" Someone in the crowd inquired.

Haruhi decided that it was time for her to speak for herself. This may not have been the way she wanted to tell everyone her secret, but it was too late to change things now. Stepping away from Mori, she addressed everyone, "Look, when I started school at Ouran, I was trying to find a place to study. Since I am a scholarship student, I have to keep up my grades or risk losing my funding. I thought the third music room was abandoned and walked in to find the Host Club. Through a series of events," Haruhi paused giving another glare to Tamaki before continuing, "I broke a vase and wanted to pay the debt back. I owed them and joined the club running errands in the beginning. No one except Kyoya-senpai realized I was a girl at first and they gave me a male uniform for me to start hosting. It was a way to take care of my debt faster than just running errands, but I started to form bonds and friendships with the others and we became a family. So after they learned that I was a girl, I decided to keep hosting. If someone would have asked me if I was a girl, I would have told them the truth. Takashi and I started dating soon after I joined the club after he realized I was a girl and we have been together ever since. I am sorry if you were deceived, but I had my reasons for keeping quiet and I did what I felt was needed at the time."

"So you really are a girl?" Renge asked. She was trying to wrap her head around this latest bit of information.

"Yes, I am," Haruhi grumbled wondering what was going to happen next. Looking around she could tell that her friends had taken up strategic posts in order to offer her the most protection. The crowd didn't look vicious, just confused.

"So we could have been best friends this whole time?" Renge cried.

Haruhi was not expecting that one, "Um, I guess we could have."

Some of Haruhi's regular customers stepped forward, "Although we are not exactly happy about the ruse, we appreciate the fact that you told us."

The hosts, their families, and especially Haruhi were wondering what that really meant. Did they accept her or did they want to rip her hair out? This was not exactly the controlled environment that she had wanted to spill all of her secrets.

"Are you two engaged?" Another person in the crowd asked.

"No, we are just dating right now," Haruhi responded.

"Do you love each other?" Another question was asked.

Haruhi and Mori gazed at each other and both smiled. Without breaking their eye contact, Mori nodded and Haruhi said, "Very much so."

Eye contact was finally broken when Haruhi was pushed away from Mori a couple of feet due to the impact of someone tackling her. When she looked down, she saw a very excited girl spinning her around, "Renge?"

"I am so excited. We are going to be the best of friends. You and Mori are so kawaii together! I can't wait for you to give me all of the details about everything that happened," Renge gushed.

"Wait, so you aren't mad?" Haruhi inquired.

Shaking her head, Renge beamed, "I am a little upset that you couldn't find it in yourself to confide in me, but we are going to be best friends now. You promised! I actually feel like eating seven bowls of rice right now!"

Groaning, Haruhi felt herself being pulled away from Renge and once again was settled by Mori's side, "Thank you Takashi."

"Are you ok?" He asked his voice full of concern.

Haruhi gave him a small smile, "Well it isn't what I was planning, but yah I am fine."

Tamaki finally felt brave enough to approach the couple, "I didn't mean for that to happen. I am so sorry!"

"Whatever Tamaki-senpai. It is done now and nothing can be changed," Haruhi grumbled.

Feeling overjoyed that Haruhi was going to forgive him; he tried to grab her and realized that she was not moving from her spot. "Mori-senpai?"

"Leave her alone Tamaki," Mori ordered.

He was not going to give up, "May I have your permission to ask Haruhi to dance?"

Mori shook his head at his blonde friend, "No, she is dancing with me."

"But she has spent all day with you!"

Smirking, Mori walked past Tamaki guiding Haruhi with him, "We still haven't had our first dance and she is my date today." If the taller man nudged the blonde idiot a bit (a lot) when he passed him and it sent the prince to the ground, Mori pretended otherwise.

As the music was once again cranked up so that the dancing could continue, Mori pulled Haruhi into his arms and started to dance to a slow song savoring the feel of her in his arms.

The guests still weren't sure what to make of this latest bit of news they received, but they could tell that the couple were happy together. Several girls in the crowd wished that Mori would look at them like that.

The hosts, Chika, and Satoshi stood together on the edge of the dance floor and watched as their not so secret princess smiled up at her prince charming. The only hoped that everyone would accept the fact that Haruhi was a girl, and realize that she was still the same person that they had all come to love and care for.

"So Tamaki, have you learned not to rush Haruhi any longer?" Kyoya sneered at his best friend.

Shaking a little at the evil look Kyoya was sending his way, he stammered, "W-well it t-t-turned out alright in the end. Didn't it?"

"Only time will be able to tell that for sure Tamaki, but if you don't stop running up to her and trying to attack her, the pain will only increase for you. From what I understand, she is learning her karate very quickly. Am I right Hunny-senpai?" Kyoya stated.

Hunny started to giggle, "You are right Kyo-Chan!"

"I think what they mean is, leave her alone Tamaki-senpai," Chika glared at the blonde president.

Returning their gazes to the dance floor, all of them wondered what was going to happen now that Haruhi's gender was revealed. It was something that they had all been so protective of because it meant that she was more theirs than anyone else's, but judging from the expressions of the people surrounding the dance floor, Haruhi was a princess for the school now.

**A/N2: I wanted to do a very different form of reveal than what you typically see or read about. Let me know what you think of it. Thanks everyone!**


	34. Will You?

**A/N: Ok everyone this will be the last chapter for this story. However, it is not all bad news because I know that there is more you want to see in regards to Haruhi/Mori's story. The thing is I have had an overwhelming number of requests for a sequel to the story (six so far), readers wanting to see the beginning of their relationship/how it all got started, Haruhi's first year away from Mori, and of course the wedding (that was originally scheduled for the epilogue of this story); so I have decided that instead of completely ending this story and not returning to it, I will write a sequel and put all of those extras in it. The first chapter should be up sometime next week. Thank you for a great run on this story. It has been fun to see Tamaki flying and the antics everyone has pulled. Enjoy the last chapter and stay tuned for the sequel!**

Chapter 34 – Will You?

Three weeks after Mori graduated and Tamaki revealed to the world (ok so it was just Ouran) that Haruhi was in fact a girl, the couple were saying good bye. Mori was leaving for his test of manhood and Hunny had decided to go with him. Thankfully her sanity would remain intact since Satoshi and Chika had decided to play her protective wall from the rest of the hosts while the two eldest hosts were gone.

Haruhi found herself counting down the days until Mori would appear again, and as she glanced at her calendar for the umpteenth time, she realized that his return date couldn't come soon enough. She missed him and although they weren't always together, they usually communicated everyday by texting or calling each other, now he was who knows where and she wasn't going to hear from him until the day he arrived back home. It was hard, but she knew that if Mori could survive out in the wilderness for two weeks with Hunny, she could survive not talking to him for that period of time. He had the harder job.

"You know Haruhi, we could always take a trip and get your mind off of things," Satoshi suggested. He knew that she was pining for his brother and he would do anything to help her get through this separation. He had promised Mori he would look out for her and he would not fail in his mission.

Chika rolled his eyes at his cousin. Satoshi had dragged him over to Haruhi's house yet again in order to make sure the girl was alright. Everyone could tell that she was missing Mori, but he didn't know what they could do about it. Instead of saying something though, he kept his mouth shut… for now.

Banging on the front door jarred all three teens, and when they heard the voice that went with this ruckus, all of them groaned, "Haruhi it is daddy and mommy. We are here to cheer you up!" More pounding and then, "Haruhi! Open the door for daddy!"

"You better answer the door before he breaks it down," Chika growled.

"I know. Although I have to give Kyoya-senpai some credit for keeping him away as long as he did. I wondered how long he could control Tamaki-senpai. Five days is longer than I thought he would be able to do," the girl grumbled as she got up to do what he said knowing that her peace was about to be completely upset. When Chika and Satoshi came over to keep her company, they at least gave her a modicum of space and quiet even with their concern; when the rest of the Host Club came over, it was shot to hell. It reminded her of the day after her accidental reveal.

_Flashback…_

_Haruhi had decided to stay at Mori's house the night before because it had been late when they finally left the park and Mori wasn't sure exactly what the other hosts would do the next day; or more to the point what Tamaki would do since he was the one that spilled the beans. The tall kendo champion was grateful that Haruhi had learned to defend herself, but at the same time he wondered when Tamaki was going to get the point; apparently though it wasn't going to happen before he had to share Haruhi's gender with everyone. _

_After Mori had pulled Haruhi off of the dance floor, Tamaki had hovered and tried to apologize time and time again. He wanted to make it up to her for revealing everything before she was ready, but Mori wasn't letting him get too close. _

_It seemed that for the most part people seemed accepting of her, but there were a few jealous girls who tried to talk bad about her and they were asked to leave before they could anything more than that. Renge helped when she declared that she and Haruhi were going to be best friends. Her customers supported her and her decisions knowing that Haruhi had her reasons and they understood them. The Host Club supported her and showed a wall of unity for her and Mori. This isn't to say that once everyone was away from the party that gossip wouldn't spread, but at least it appeared she had people on her side._

_It turns out that it was a good thing that Haruhi stayed at the Morinozuka estate after the party because her father was calling her at 9:00 am the next morning yelling about a pest at the door. Tamaki was bombarding the house with bouquet after bouquet of "I'm sorry" flowers. _

_The blonde had first woken Ranka up by yelling and pounding on the door yelling for his daughter and crying that he just wanted her forgiveness. Ranka had opened the door to give Tamaki a piece of his mind to find a blubbering mess surrounded by flowers. Before the patriarch could send Tamaki and the flowers on their way, the delivery men took advantage of the open door and started to put all of the flowers inside the apartment. The king followed suit. _

_Ranka tried to get rid of Tamaki and didn't understand what the host was whimpering about. He tried to call Kyoya to get answers, but got voicemail. He called his daughter next and heard the whole story. It did nothing to put Tamaki in his good graces and if anything he wanted to smash the half French man even more so. Kicking him and then stepping on his chest, Ranka screeched, "You have the gall to come here and try to make it up with my daughter when you acted the way you did last night. How dare you!"_

_"I'm sorry Ranka. I didn't mean for it to happen, I was just overcome by her cuteness and beauty," Tamaki wailed._

_"You do realize that she has a boyfriend and you need to let go, don't you? The only person that should be touching her like the way you attempt to should be Takashi. Is your name Takashi Morinozuka?"_

_"No sir," Tamaki was finding it hard to breathe with a foot pressing down on him._

_"Then I suggest you behave and leave her alone. You are not her father! I AM HER ONE AND ONLY FATHER!"_

_"Yes sir!" Tamaki would do anything to get the foot off of him, but when the pressure was finally released, he found himself being thrown out of the door and landing across the parking lot in an open dumpster. Haruhi's father had good aim._

_When she had told Mori what was happening, they rushed to her apartment to find her father drinking tea surrounded by a lot of pretty flowers and no Tamaki in sight, "Um dad, where is Tamaki-senpai?"_

_"Oh I threw the garbage out," Ranka smiled evilly, but did not expand._

_Mori and Haruhi knew something bad had happened and wondered exactly what happened before they arrived. Mori also knew he was never going to anger Ranka because he believed the man would be able to take his life in one instant._

_End flashback…_

Tamaki and the others had tried to come over several times since school at let out and never went more than three days between visits. Five days was a record for them and she was sure that she owed it to the Shadow King.

Pulling the door open, Haruhi glared, "What do you want Tamaki-senpai?"

"Haruhi are you not happy that daddy came to visit you today? Look I brought mommy and your brothers too! We decided to come cheer you up and get your mind off of Mori-senpai's vacation," Tamaki gave her his princely smile.

"My brother isn't on vacation, it is a survival test. Something I am not sure you would be able to handle," Satoshi walked up behind Haruhi.

Chika made his presence known next, "And she doesn't need you, she has us to keep her company while our brothers are gone."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up and smirked, "Actually, I talked to Ranka already. We are all going on a trip and you two are coming with us. I know that you would not let Haruhi come alone, so arrangements have been made. I have also already contacted your parents."

"No thank you Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi grumbled.

The twins pushed their way into the apartment and wrapped their arms around Haruhi, "Now, now. Would you rather sit at home pining for your boyfriend, or would you rather join us on the beach?"

"I can assure you Haruhi that Tamaki will stay far away from you this time," Kyoya stated.

"MOMMY!" Tamaki took offense to what Kyoya was saying.

Face palming, Haruhi asked, "Do I have a choice?"

"Well you don't owe the club a debt any longer, but the arrangements have been made. I have even made sure that we have staff at the beach house this time," Kyoya smirked knowing that Haruhi would give in.

"So we are going to Okinawa?" She questioned him ignoring the sniveling pile of Host Club king at her feet begging her to come on the trip with them.

Pushing up his glasses and creating a glare, Kyoya answered, "Yes. I know you don't have your passport yet, so I figured this was the best solution. It would allow you to get away and try to get your mind off of things and we will be back in a week. I knew that you would not come without Yasuchika and Satoshi, so they are of course invited to come along as well, but I believe I already explained that."

Haruhi knew she didn't have much of a choice, so begrudgingly she agreed, "Fine. When do we leave?"

Hikaru and Kaoru each grabbed an arm and walked on Tamaki in their rush to get out the door, "Right now!"

"Hey wait a minute! I still have to pack and lock up my house!" Haruhi yelled.

"We packed for you!" Hikaru declared.

Kaoru beamed, "You have all of the latest designs from our mother!"

Kyoya called after her, "I have locked everything up and Satoshi has grabbed your purse. You are ready to go."

"Damn rich bastards!" She mumbled under her breath. When Satoshi and Chika stepped into the car, she moved away from the twins in order to sit between them.

Tamaki got in the car before Kyoya and asked, "Don't you want to sit next to daddy?"

"You are not my father and I am ok where I am," she leered effectively sending Tamaki to his mushroom corner. Looking up at Satoshi, she narrowed her eyes in a glare, "Did you know about this? Is that why you suggested a trip?"

Shaking his head quickly, he did not want to associate his plans with those of the Host Club, "No. I was going to suggest a trip to the lake house or something, and it was not going to include them."

"At least I have three people to try to keep me sane," she mumbled under her breath knowing that this trip was going to be very tiring.

She was right. They had finally arrived at the beach house and Kyoya had a maid show everyone to their rooms. Tamaki was upset because he wanted to be closer to Haruhi. Her room was between Satoshi and Chika. Kyoya's was across the hall from hers. The twins and Tamaki were put down a different hall knowing that they make the most noise and cause the most trouble. The king's arguing and complaining did nothing to help his situation and when Kyoya threatened to make him sleep outside, Tamaki gave up the fight of getting a different room.

Haruhi unpacked, changed, and looked at the time. She finished just in time for dinner and opened her door to find Satoshi and Chika about to knock, "Hey guys."

"Are you ready to head down to the dining room?" Chika asked.

"Yah, let's go," she smiled at her escort and they started their journey to dinner. When they walked in the large dining room, Haruhi felt the need to prepare to defend herself. She figured it was a result of Tamaki rushing her so many times, but he wasn't even in the room. The twins and Kyoya were the only ones present when the trio had arrived.

Satoshi and Chika had moved over to the table leaving Haruhi standing near the entrance talking to the twins. They both heard screaming, but before they could do anything Tamaki was once again on his back.

Tamaki had seen Haruhi talking to the twins and couldn't get over how cute and feminine she looked and immediately had to hug her. Yelling, "Kawaii!" He ran up to her and hugged her from behind like had done several times before. This time he didn't get pinched, he got thrown over her shoulder.

"I have told you before to stop that Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi said bluntly as she went to join Chika and Satoshi at the table.

Kyoya sighed and thought, _"Tamaki is such a slow learner sometimes."_ Out loud, he stated, "Time for dinner. I hope everyone is hungry."

Everyone left Tamaki in the middle of the floor and sat down at the table. He would join them when he had recovered.

The rest of the week was much the same way. Haruhi did get some reading and relaxing in, but Tamaki would think something she did was cute and forget what happens when he runs up to her and she would throw him yet again. A couple of times it was in the middle of working out with Satoshi and Chika, there was no reason the lessons should stop because they were in a different location. If the fact that they were working on karate and kendo wasn't a clue to stay away, then Tamaki was never going to learn.

By the end of the week, Haruhi had gotten in a daily workout and she was a little sore from the throwing. She spotted everyone handing over money to Kyoya when they had landed and were back in the limo to take everyone home. When she asked about it she was stunned by the answer. It turns out that everyone was taking bets as to how many times Tamaki would end up on the floor for attempting to glomp her. Kyoya won because he predicted 16 and hit the number exactly. Satoshi figured it would only be 12. Chika bet 30. Hikaru and Kaoru bet 20. Tamaki tried to yell when he realized he was the butt of a bet, but one look from Kyoya shut him up on the matter.

When she had been dropped off she realized that she only had to wait three more days for her boyfriend to return from his test. She knew he would pass with flying colors and couldn't wait to see his face once again. She had to give it to her friends, the trip did help her keep her mind off of things at times and she needed it. She would never admit it to them though.

At dawn of the third day, Haruhi woke up before her alarm. She popped out of bed excited that Mori would be home that day. She wasn't sure when, but she knew by sundown she would be able to see him with her own eyes and make sure he was safe and intact. Unable to get much sleep the night before, as soon as there was even a hint of sun, she was awake and getting ready for the phone call that would tell her Mori was back.

By the time 8:00 am rolled around, Haruhi had cleaned her house from top to bottom and had made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her and her father for the day. She had finally run out of things to do, but she couldn't sit still. Picking up her phone, she really hoped it wasn't too early to call.

"Hey Haruhi!" Satoshi sounded awake and ready to face the day.

"Hi. I didn't wake you up did I?"

"Not at all. I was just getting ready to go to the dojo. Want to come over and spar?" Satoshi could tell that his future sister-in-law was a ball of nervous energy.

"Do you mind if I come over? I know that Takashi isn't back yet and that everyone is waiting on him. It's just…"

"HARUHI! It's fine. I will send the car and you can come over," Satoshi laughed.

Chuckling, Haruhi smiled, "Sorry. I will be ready when the car gets here. Thanks."

Satoshi had hung up the phone and was about to call for a car when one was pulling up to the house. He wasn't sure who was supposed to be coming over this early in the morning, but he went out to meet the car and discover who the passenger was. He stopped in his tracks when the man exited from the backseat, "Taka!" He ran to his brother and hugged him.

Mori smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. He had planned on visiting Haruhi first, but when he had landed and he noticed the time, he didn't want to wake her, "Satoshi."

"Haruhi is going to be happy to see you. I was just about to send a car to get her." Satoshi noticed the furrowed brow of his brother, "She called and is a little anxious. So I told her I would send the car to get her and she could come over and spar."

"I'll pick her up," Mori declared and went into the house to get one thing before he went to see Haruhi.

Smiling, Satoshi said, "I figured you would say that."

Michiko and Akira had been made aware that their son had landed and would be on his way home after they dropped of Hunny. They couldn't wait to see him. It had been two weeks of wondering how he was doing on his test. Although Akira had gone through it himself and passed without any problems, sending his son out to do the test proved to be a little worrisome. When the car pulled up, they went out onto the porch to greet their eldest. He looked tired, but accomplished.

"Mother, father," Mori addressed his parents as he bowed. He wasn't able to straighten up before he was pulled into a hug by his enthusiastic mother.

Michiko gave Mori a once over to make sure he was truly ok and then attacked him, "I am so happy you are ok and home safe."

"It went well?" Akira asked.

Mori nodded as he returned his mother's hug, "Yes. Mitsukuni and are both back home without incident."

"Well you can tell us all about it after you get some rest. You look tired," his mother chided him as she pulled back and patted his cheek.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he explained, "I need to get something out of my room and then pick up Haruhi. Satoshi was supposed to send the car to get her, but I thought I would go and see her."

Akira smiled and stated, "You have our blessings."

"Thank you father," Mori gave him a small smile and ran up to his room to get the small jewelry box he had bought before he left. Running back out of the house, he hurried to the car. He couldn't wait to see Haruhi. These past two weeks without her had been harder than the test itself.

Haruhi was attempting to be patient drinking some tea and reading a book while she waited for the car to arrive. Glancing at the clock every couple of minutes, she was getting frustrated with herself. It would be here soon and then she would be at the Morinozuka estate; then she could get rid of some of this pent up energy as she sparred with Satoshi. Where was that car though?

As soon as the knock sounded at the door, she grabbed her bag and flew to open the door so that she could exit and be on her way. Her exit was blocked however by a very tall lean man and Haruhi was frozen in her place when she realized who was standing before her.

"Haruhi," Mori spoke softly and lifted his hand to cup her face. It was the most beautiful thing he had laid eyes on in weeks, and he believed she had gotten prettier since he left.

Haruhi wondered if she was dreaming, "Takashi?" Lifting her own hand, she touched his chest and felt his heart beating. She was awake and he was standing before her. She threw herself into his arms and cried, "Welcome home. I missed you."

Holding her tightly to him, Mori replied, "I missed you too." As the words left his mouth, he lifted her and brought her lips to his. He had missed her kisses and dreamed of them every night since they had been apart.

When the kiss ended, Mori set her on her feet again. It was time. He had wanted to do this over a nice dinner or a walk in the park, but he couldn't wait for any of that. Instead in her kitchen, he got down on one knee, pulled the box out of his pocket, and said, "I have loved you for a long time and during these past two weeks I have realized how much you have become a part of my everyday life. You are my better half and understand me more than almost anyone else. You accept who I am and do not try to change me. You understand my duty to my family when most people just question it. I want to spend the rest of our lives loving you and being loved by you. Will you marry me?"

Haruhi was in tears with the sweet words Mori spoke. She had been expecting him to propose at some point in time, but had not thought that he would do it as soon as he got back. Beaming, she couldn't find the words and instead nodded her acceptance.

"Yes?" Mori probed wanting to make sure he was not mistaken in her answer.

Nodding again, Haruhi whispered, "Yes! I love you!" She threw herself back into his arms and he fell on the floor holding her to him.

Mori grinned and felt like he was king of the world. She had said yes, and as he slipped on the solitaire engagement ring on her finger, he knew that no matter what happened they were each other's forever.


	35. Author's Note - Sequel Announcement

Good news everyone... the sequel to Haruhi's Bitter Days is now up and ready to read. It is called Bitter Days in High School. There will be more antics, flying Tamaki (everyone get your counters ready), and flashbacks to show you how everything started and loved bloomed for our happy couple. Enjoy!


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